Philip Morris fumes at Thailand cigarette pack rules

[animatic]

"...Marlboro brand, says the industry was not consulted..."

Well tough luck, you don't get a say in public health,

since your business is to MAKE a product that harms the public health.

[hellodolly]

Yea and they took the Australian Government to court on the same issue and lost. Then again they couldn't pay off the legal system in Aust so they might just have a chance in Thailand.

With a little help from the man i Dubai, they might win in court

.

Please explain what you mean by the help from the man in Dubai.

thanks.

i doubt if he knows.......just thinks he's being funny .

I think he is referring to the court system gradually falling into line with what the Government wants.

Edited June 26, 2013 by hellodolly

[hellodolly]

21st century

people should be informed and know better

people smoking should be banned from free healthcare

same as the 300+ pounders that go eat mcdonals everyday

Would every other day be acceptable to you and on the off days Burger King.

What has free health care got to do with Thailand?

Are you saying if a 7 foot 310 pound man is brought into emergency with no money he should be thrown out?

Your just over flowing with the milk of human kindness aren't you?

[Rust Never Sleeps]

A question? Do the taxes the governments recieve outweigh the medical costs? Just curious.

[lee b]

I can't see what good it will do, it will not stop people from smoking if they wish too...

[hellodolly]

The government will make a billboard showing a big scissor cutting the giant

cigarette

then they will pass a law against big bill boards.

Seriously speakings I have had my own experience with smoking it did give me a great deal of peace. But as the habit grew it started to take that peace away from me and replace it with empty wallets constant hacking and today after 29 years of non smoking I only have 70% use of my lungs.

As for a social lubricant. I started when I was 13 it led me to a group of people who were like me at school in effect it cut me off from a wide range of people.

I can now look back on my life and honestly say if I could change only one thing in my life knowing what I know now it would be I would never have started smoking. I have had my run with alcohol and drugs and survived them unscathed to the best of my knowledge. Maybe an enlarged heart due to speed but they pale in comparison to what tobacco did to me.

I have friends who have to plan there life going out according to where they can smoke. Sad situation I am so happy I found my way out of it.

[Rust Never Sleeps]

BTW Was the heading written by an Australian. Philip Morris fumes at Thailands cigarette pack rules. In Australia journalists always try to come up with witty headings.

[how241]

You can tell that Phillip Mprris has the public welfare uppermost in their minds.

+1

[Lite Beer]

Japan Tobacco sues Thailand over cigarette packaging

TOKYO, June 26, 2013 (AFP) - Japan Tobacco is suing the Thai government over plans to introduce bigger and more prominent anti-smoking warnings on cigarette packets, the company said Wednesday, as rival Philip Morris vows similar action.

The Tokyo-based firm, one of the world's biggest cigarette companies, with brands including Winston and Benson & Hedges, said the planned changes from Thailand's public health ministry would interfere with its operations in the kingdom.

Thailand has decided to extend health warnings from 50 to 85 percent on both sides of every cigarette packet sold in the country.

The new rule is to come into effect in October, but Japan Tobacco said the change would have a "disproportionate impact on legitimate competition, intellectual property rights and freedom of expression".

"In order to protect its ability to continue to use its brands and key trademarks in Thailand, JTI (Japan Tobacco International) has initiated a legal challenge against this notification," the company said in a statement, referring to a lawsuit filed in Thailand on June 19.

The company added that adult smokers should be "appropriately informed" before deciding to smoke and smokers "should continue to be reminded" about the health risks.

"JTI however does not believe that increasing the size of graphic health warnings to cover 85% of cigarette packaging is effective or proportionate," it added.

Philip Morris, which makes the Marlboro brand, and hundreds of Thai retailers on Tuesday warned they would sue Thai health authorities and claimed the industry was not consulted on the changes from Thailand's health ministry.

"Given the negative impact this policy will have on our trademarks and the fact the Ministry ignored our voice and the voices of thousands of retailers enacting this rule, we have no choice but to ask the court to intervene," company spokesman Onanong Pratakphiriya said in a statement, adding the lawsuit will be brought before July 4.

Philip Morris has fought bitter legal battles with governments before, most famously losing an action against a pioneering Australian government policy to introduce entirely plain cigarette packaging with the same typeface and graphic images of diseased smokers.

Thailand's Deputy Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew dismissed the threat from Philip Morris.

"We have the authority to do it... the law allows the ministry to do it," he said, adding that he hoped the enlarged pictures "will make new smokers rethink before they decide to smoke".

Thailand bans smoking in public places but figures from its Office of Tobacco Control said smoking rates among those 15 years and older remained roughly unchanged from 27.2 percent in 2009 to 26.9 in 2011.

The tobacco lobby has systematically tried to block laws curbing their ability to advertise their products or raise taxes on cigarettes, but more and more countries are adopting the approach as the health costs of smoking mount.

Last week European Union member states agreed to cover 65 percent of packaging with health warnings, but the new rule needs approval from the European Parliament to come into force.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-06-26

[Krungbin]

I for one support the Public Health Ministry..... fully...

Screw all that appose them.

The Health Ministry are thinking about the health of there population for a change

If the Health Ministry was really thinking about the health of the population it would ban all diesel engine powered vehicles to start with.

[masuk]

I must have a look at the gory green packets used to package the carcinogenic contents next time I'm back in Oz.

Some manufacturers (certainly so in Indonesia) add extra nicotine to the tobacco.: It's not for health purposes, but to ensure a good addiction for the years ahead.

The consumers shouldn't complain about the price and the taxes, as it's only paying for their hospital bed in advance.

When I retired at age 65, most of my former friends and colleagues had already died of smoking-related diseases.

[bangkokheat]

i think they should ban thai drama (trauma) its affecting my health

[rotary]

While I am not a smoker, and do like the laws that stop smoking in public places, these photos placed on packs of smokes appear to be doing no good. I say place a simple reasonable size warning. I think an increase in the warning size will have no affect.

In fact it gets down to taking peoples freedoms away such as some of the silly laws in the USA

[kimamey]

Nothing will deter smokers from smoking like a stiff price rise, hit

them where it hurts, their pocket, and see that many will find smoking

is unhealthy to their budget...

I'm not sure that's true. In the UK you're more likely to smoke if you're in the lower income bracket. If you see someone begging or sleeping on the street they're almost always smoking.

I'm sure this is true elsewhere as well.

I'm all for taking this action to cut smoking but it has to be done legally or it will just be thrown out by a court.

[Scully]

I would have a quiet word in the ear of the tobacco companies, take us to court and watch your products double in price next budget.

[Fullstop]

BTW Was the heading written by an Australian. Philip Morris fumes at Thailands cigarette pack rules. In Australia journalists always try to come up with witty headings.

Make that "Everywhere in the World journalists always try to come up with witty headings."

Edited June 26, 2013 by Fullstop

[Wombat6]

You can tell that Phillip Mprris has the public welfare uppermost in their minds.

I bet they didn't consult with the Thai Authorities when they increased the Nicotine content in their products

[animatic]

Nothing will deter smokers from smoking like a stiff price rise, hit

them where it hurts, their pocket, and see that many will find smoking

is unhealthy to their budget...

I'm not sure that's true. In the UK you're more likely to smoke if you're in the lower income bracket. If you see someone begging or sleeping on the street they're almost always smoking.

I'm sure this is true elsewhere as well.

I'm all for taking this action to cut smoking but it has to be done legally or it will just be thrown out by a court.

It worked in NYC were it went from $6 to $10-12 in short order, i

t really cut down on smokers.

[Thai at Heart]

You can tell that Phillip Mprris has the public welfare uppermost in their minds.

I bet they didn't consult with the Thai Authorities when they increased the Nicotine content in their products

Thailand doesn't have a stipulated maximum or minimum. If it did, the TTM products wouldn't pass.

[MAJIC]

These are the same companies that promoted cigarettes as being glamorous and harmless,many hundreds of thousands (if not millions) worldwide,died before they admitted,that they knew the dangers of smoking all along,I hope the Judge throws out their case and fines them collossal amounts, for lying and wasting the Courts time. Money is the only thing these Purveyers of Death understand!

[Mudcrab]

I'm an ex smoker, gave up due to the concerns for my health in later life.

The warnings on the packets did not have any effect but the price did.

A pack of 25 now costs close to 600 baht in OZ now compared to 70 or so for 20 in Thailand.

The arguments about freedom of choice and having warning signs on alcohol, cars as they can kill has some validity.

However tobacco is the only product sold that will kill when used as intended by the producer (at least to my knowledge)

[CqK]

Free advertising for PM.

As an aside, and if this trick works, perhaps Thailand's Health Ministry should consider incorporating images of road traffic accidents into the paintwork of new vehicles.

With illustrations of alcoholic beverages overlaid on those caused by inebriated drivers.

[Italian guy]

Take a 10-minutes stroll in Sukhumvit Rd. and you get the equivalent of 2 packs of Marlboro at once... The Ministry of Health should advertise on giant billboards ATTENTION, BREATHING IN BANGKOK CAUSES CANCER!

[Potosi]

Philip Morris is one of the corporations that created the Tea Party in 2002, along with other big tobacco corps and the Kochs.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brendan-demelle/study-confirms-tea-party-_b_2663125.html

Opposition to tobacco control is part of this party's agenda.

[CqK]

I have to agree with Philip - it's really annoying having a photo of a dead man's foot or pair of lungs exposed on the mortician's table while trying to enjoy a night out. I have to keep putting my wallet on top of the cigarttes packet to hide it.

Now, I actually quit again over a week ago but I still think this anti-smoking thing has gone too far.

Smoking is part of our cultural heritage - OK, it may be bad for you but so is standing by the roadside breathing in car fumes - why not insist those photos are printed onto the side of every vehicle?

I always like the one with the man and the baby though - "smoking will make you a handsome young Asian man with a friendly baby" - doesn't seem so bad!

I think "this anti-smoking thing has gone too far" too. And I don't smoke. Love the smell of cigarette smoke though . . . cigars too . . . pipes, yup, don't see many pipe smokers anymore. I don't like the smell of alchohol, however. That reeks like vomit!

Whenever I see the "Hang 'em High" anti-smokers brigade in action I always wonder how many people are sitting in prisons for crimes they committed while under the influence of nicotine . . . or how many road accident deaths were caused by drivers with too much nicotine in their systems . . . or how many people got so fat after quitting smoking they died from heart attacks . . . just wondering.

Also wondering whatever happened to the old saying, "Live and let live" . . . too much government all over the world . . .

[LALes]

Governments need to quit pimping cigarettes. Death and noxious gas are not things they should be sponsoring. Tobacco monopolies just defy logic.

What is a government doing in the tobacco business? They should be outlawing cigarettes so we can all breathe freely.

[Fullstop]

However tobacco is the only product sold that will kill when used as intended by the producer (at least to my knowledge)

What about Mortein?

[JulesMad]

Smoking cigarettes is the deadliest and most dangerous DRUG there is!!!

It kills more people than any other drug... Probably more than all other drugs combined, including alcohol.

So the logical conclusion should be: "make smoking illegal"

I know it is never going to happen because every government makes so much money from the tax on cigarettes and alcohol; countries would go bankrupt without it!

PS I am (still) a smoker

[Fullstop]

So the logical conclusion should be: "make smoking illegal"

No, no, NO! You're going backwards. There's enough laws already telling us "do this", "do that", "don't do this". Make EVERYTHING I or anyone else wants to use LEGAL. I'm an adult. I like to make my own decisions. Good or bad.

EDIT ... I'm a non smoker by the way.

Edited June 26, 2013 by Fullstop

[hellodolly]

Governments need to quit pimping cigarettes. Death and noxious gas are not things they should be sponsoring. Tobacco monopolies just defy logic.

What is a government doing in the tobacco business? They should be outlawing cigarettes so we can all breathe freely.

Will that clean up the pollution in Chiang Mai. If so where do I sign a petition?