Page 39 - TAIWAN TOBACCO CONTROL ANNUAL REPORT 2019

◎ "Smoking Harms the Heart - Quit Smoking to Save the Heart" Pictorial Health Warnings on Tobacco Packages Printed designs on tobacco product containers are one of the methods for advertising tobacco products. Article 11 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control mandated that parties shall display health hazards warnings on tobacco product containers. These warnings shall cover at least 30% of the container area (50% is the recommended). A total of 113 countries around the world established requirements for printing warning labels on tobacco product containers by 2017. Up to 90 countries in the world also required these warning labels to cover at least 50% of the container. Regular replacement of the warning images and texts is also necessary in maintaining the warning effects. Various countries have defined different frequencies. Chile established the highest frequency for warning replacement at one revision every year, meaning that warnings have been revised for a total of 7 times since 2006 to 2013. Australia, New Zealand, and Belgium, on the other hand, adopted a set of 2-3 images and texts which would be rotated once every 12 months. The Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act promulgated in Taiwan in 1997 only required tobacco product containers to display health hazards warning text which failed to achieve the desired warning effects upon smokers. In 2007, the MOHW successfully amended the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act and stipulated in Article 6 that as of January 11, 2009 warning signs must cover at least 35% of the area of the front and back faces of the tobacco product containers. In addition to the texts, the required warning must also display pictures and relevant information on smoking cessation. Since September 2002, the EU has started to publish tobacco product warning labels and texts for the uses of all member countries. In May of 2011, former Minister, Wen-Ta Chiu, contacted the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (known as DG SANCO) in the World Health Assembly period and the EU representative conference, and in September of same year, EU agreed to license taiwan to use the tobacco product health warning labels; in addition, on May 24, 2012, the "Licence Agreement" were signed by both parties, making taiwan become the 10th country in singing the tobacco package warning image license with the EU. This agreement is also the first official agreement signed by Taiwan with the EU in the field of health. 37 Reducing the Demand for Tobacco