Philippines may soon make smoking warnings graphic

A Philippine legislative committee approved a bill on Tuesday that would compel cigarette manufacturers to print illustrations of smoking hazards on cigarette packs to curb smoking in a country where tens of thousands die yearly from tobacco-related diseases.

The committee composed of both senators and congressmen passed the bill directing the Department of Health to issue 12 templates of pictures and illustrations that warn about the dangers of smoking.

The full Senate and House of Representatives are expected to formally pass the bill before it is signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III, who backed an earlier "sin tax" law that raised taxes on tobacco and alcohol products.

The illustrations, which could include pictures of cancerous lungs and throats, will occupy the lower half of the front and back panels of a cigarette pack. The current warning contains only words, saying that smoking is dangerous.

Philippine health officials said in 2012 that 17.3 million of the country's 96 million people smoke — one of Southeast Asia's highest rates — and 87,000 die per year from tobacco-related diseases.

"This is a big victory for health advocates," said Dr. Anthony Leachon, president of the Philippine College of Physicians.

Leachon said images of damaged body parts, such as before-and-after pictures of a lung ravaged by smoking, will have a greater impact, especially on non-smokers.

The bill also instructs the Department of Education to include the hazards of smoking in the school curriculum.
In recent years, more than 40 countries or jurisdictions have introduced cigarette labels with graphic anti-smoking warnings. The World Health Organization said in a survey done in countries with graphic labels that a majority of smokers noticed the warnings and more than 25 percent said the warnings led them to consider quitting.

The Philippine bill follows the passage in late 2012 of a "sin tax" law, which raised the excise tax on tobacco and alcohol products to discourage their use and raise revenues for health programs.

A recent survey commissioned by the Department of Health indicated that the law helped reduce smoking among the poor and young people, the main targets of the law.

It said that smoking prevalence among the very poor dropped from 38 percent in December 2012 to 25 percent in March this year. Smoking among people aged 18 to 24 also fell from 35 percent to 18 percent during the same period.

Anti-smoking ads to be less graphic

Television stations have rejected anti-smoking ads with graphic content at the level of those broadcast in Australia.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare considered an unprecedentedly realistic anti-smoking ad, similar to those in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

When the hired agency contacted broadcasters with a sample ad from Australia in order to check if they would accept such a level of negativity and fear, the broadcasters weren't very enthusiastic.

The Australian ad shows a severed artery that oozes fat when squeezed.

"The advertisement would last 40 seconds, and the broadcasters said it would be difficult to show body parts for as long as the Australian ad does," said an official at the health ministry.

Reflecting feedback from the broadcasters, the agency filmed an advertisement that features a softened message. It will be aired, beginning June 26. The ministry official said that the advertisement will still be "threatening and negative" enough.

Choi You-jin, a professor at Dongguk University, said that for an agency to decide the level of fear in a public service advertisement, it should have the ad "pre-tested" by members of the public rather than broadcasters.

"I believe many Koreans now travel abroad and get to experience other countries' commercials. I wonder if broadcasters regard the public's sentiment as too tender. An anti-smoking campaign isn't unethical and does not encourage illegal activities. It is about the public interest," the professor said.

"So why do public advertisement teams at broadcasters put their interest first? The public interest should come first on deciding how graphic an ad is."

Yonhap News reported that the ad was also softened due to the mournful atmosphere since the Sewol ferry disaster. A shocking advertisement won't help improve the mood, the ministry decided, according to the news agency.

Park, a resident of Sejong City in his 40s, said that anti-smoking advertisement shouldn't be toned down.

"I don't understand why they would limit how far they can go with the anti-smoking campaign with strange excuses like the Sewol accident. Do Australians, New Zealanders and British people have two hearts to tolerate such ads?" he said.

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