Cancer Society Supports Cigarette Warnings

Media release
10 May 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cancer Society Supports Cigarette Warnings

The Cancer Society applauds the Ministry of Health for its consultation document released today that proposes a series of warnings about the dangers of smoking.

The document features large graphic images on the front and back of cigarette packets.

The Cancer Society commends the move to introduce picture based health warnings and strongly encourages the Ministry to consider further controls to effectively remove cigarette branding.

“This is an important move by the Ministry and one the Cancer Society emphatically supports,” said Belinda Hughes, Tobacco Control Programme Manger at the Cancer Society.

“Cigarette packaging is marketing tool. It makes cigarettes attractive and undermines the effectiveness of health warnings. Large picture health warnings are a good start, but the Ministry needs to look at eliminating the branding of cigarettes completely,” said Ms Hughes.

“Lung cancer doesn’t come in different brands, and nor should cigarettes. How can you defend the promotion of cigarettes in this day and age?”

The Cancer Society will be giving the Ministry all its support to make the health warnings larger than proposed and looks toward introducing plain packaging, Ms Hughes says.

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