- eliminate the effect of tobacco packaging as a form of advertising and promotion;
- eliminate package-design techniques that may suggest that some products are less harmful than others; and
- increase the noticeability and effectiveness of health warnings.
Countries where plain packaging has been implemented (despite and in spite of tobacco industry trying all its might to derail it), enormous public-health gains have been yielded. For example, Australia was the First Nation to enforce plain packaging of tobacco products in 2012 despite all-out effort by tobacco industry to dissuade it from doing so. Tobacco use among adults in Australia in 2012 was around 16% which has come down to 11% by 2019. Likewise, in age-group 15-24 years, tobacco use also came down between 2012 and 2019 from around 12% to 6%.
Plain-packaging adoption in Myanmar
Dr Kyaw Kan Kaung, Deputy Director General (non-communicable diseases), Ministry of Health of Myanmar, said that "It is our great pleasure to adopt the standardized packaging in Myanmar. This is a significant milestone of Myanmar's tobacco control journey. As smoking is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), this will also contribute majorly towards reducing NCDs. NCDs are a major cause of mortality and morbidity in Myanmar. We also would like to thank The Union and all our partners for their great efforts and contribution towards this achievement."
Dr Kaung shared almost two decades-long journey of Myanmar in strengthening tobacco control. Over 17% of all deaths in the country are because of tobacco use. While Myanmar was progressing towards adoption of plain packaging, it is important to note that the nation also had adopted the code of conduct to check tobacco-industry interference in public-health policy. Myanmar along with over 180 nations worldwide are also obligated to implement Article 5.3 of the global tobacco treaty to firewall health policy making from all forms of tobacco-industry interference.
Dr Kaung said that plain packaging (standardised packaging) was a key recommendation of a multi-sectoral workshop on development of National Tobacco Control Policy, Strategy and Legislation in November 2019. Many important ministries from Myanmar, WHO FCTC (global tobacco treaty) secretariat and other experts had participated in this meet.
Dr Kaung informed that Myanmar's standardised packaging policy requires pictorial health warnings to occupy 75% of front, back, sides and top of the packaging of all forms of tobacco (such as, cigarettes, cheroots, cigars, and other smokeless tobacco products). The packaging must be in a standard specified colour and only contain information and the prescribed health warnings in a standard font. Flavourings are also prohibited. The tobacco industry has 180 days to comply with the new rules from the date of adoption (12th October 2021).
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
