Cigarette Display Regulation Sent For Rewriting

[george]

Cigarette display regulation sent for rewriting

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet yesterday told re-lated agencies and the Council of State to go back and clearly draft the ministerial regulation to ban cigarette displays, government spokesman Surapong Suebwong-lee said yesterday. Realising the necessity to control harmful-to-health tobacco products, the Cabinet decided that the council’s ruling was still vague.

It states that a cigarette display could and could not be regarded as a form of advertising – prohibited by the Tobacco Act 1992 – depending on the intention from acts such as stacking cigarette packs at an eye-catching location.

The Cabinet instructed the Public Health, and Finance ministries and the Council of State to clearly draft the regulations and make it in line with the Act, he said.

In the meeting, the premier said the issue needed to be clarified because the council’s ruling was still vague and in need of endless interpretation, an observer said.

“Isn’t a cigarette display ban at locations where people can easily see them, too much of a proposal? We have to be careful because it may be an action beyond the Tobacco Act’s power. If we do as the Public Health Ministry suggested, why don’t we do the same with alcohol drinks too?” he quoted Thaksin as saying.

--The Nation 2005-11-16

[Jai Dee]

THE CABINET AGREES TO AMEND A LAW RELATED TO CLARIFY TOBACCO ACT

The cabinet has agreed to the Public Health Ministry’s proposal to amend the ministerial regulation in accordance to the Tobacco Act, to make it more comprehensive and clear.

Government spokesperson Dr. Surapong Suebwonglee (สุรพงษ์ สืบวงศ์ลี) said that the cabinet has decided to assign the Public Health Ministry, the Finance Ministry, and the Office of the Council of State to discuss amendments to the Public Health Ministry’s regulation, according to the Tobacco Act.

He said the new regulations must not go beyond what the Council of State had interpreted earlier, insisting that displays of tobacco products in prominent locations will be considered illegal and store operators will face legal action.

As for those who have licenses to display tobacco products without promoting their consumption, Dr. Surapong said that there are no clear laws on how to deal with them. He said that therefore, a law needs to be amended to make it more comprehensive.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 16 November 2005