Bangkok:- Scary pictorial warnings on cigarette packs will be getting bigger in the Thai market in response to the Public Health Ministry’s intensifying efforts to curb smoking. But some smokers have already said they can find a way to deal with the disturbing pictures and not give up smoking.

“Those pictorial warnings make me feel uneasy about touching the pack but I continue smoking,” Yaowadee Saiphan told Post Today.

At present, cigarette packs have already devoted 55 per cent of their space to scary pictures and messages about the dangers from cigarettes anyway. It is just that with the ministry’s harder efforts, the warnings will soon cover 85 per cent of the space.

“Due to those pictures, I’ve bought a hard pack from overseas and refilled it with cigarettes I’ve bought here,” Yaowadee said.

The pictorial warnings prove quite scary. They, for example, show the effects of oral cancer and lung cancer.

"When I buy cigarettes here, I pray deep down that a shop assistant will pick the pack with the least scary picture for me," the female smoker says.

Siriwan Pitayarangsarit of the Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center says the pictorial warnings have successfully raised people’s awareness of smoking danger.

“When we raised the warning space from 50 per cent to 55 per cent of the packs, we also found that people had a stronger wish to smoking,” Siriwan said, “But none of available researches has confirmed that such pictorial warnings can really help people quit smoking”.

According to her, there are many other factors behind in one’s decision to really give up smoking.

The only way the pictures can get bigger is if they start making bigger packs.

The only way the pictures can get bigger is if they start making bigger packs.

Which would come handy as than we could fit in 30 cigarettes

Even if they put the whole of the British National gallery outside the box it won't make any difference.

Upt the price to 400Baht a packet and then I will tell you if people will quit smoking.

Even if they put the whole of the British National gallery outside the box it won't make any difference.

Upt the price to 400Baht a packet and then I will tell you if people will quit smoking.

But why don't let them smoke if they want?

So freaking stupid. It's not as if people are blind and can't see the present pictures. Making the pictures bigger isn't going to change a thing. Smokers are still gonna smoke.

It was Dennis Leary, who said something to the effect, that tobacco- companies, could sell black boxes with a skull and crossbones as the only picture and call them "Tumor" and nothing would change!

I think, he has a point!

The only way the pictures can get bigger is if they start making bigger packs.

Which would come handy as than we could fit in 30 cigarettes

We have already 18/25/30 cigarette packs in Germany.

Bigger pictures are welcome from all picture collectors. There should only be a bigger choice of pictures.

The only way the pictures can get bigger is if they start making bigger packs.

Which would come handy as than we could fit in 30 cigarettes

We have already 18/25/30 cigarette packs in Germany.

Bigger pictures are welcome from all picture collectors. There should only be a bigger choice of pictures.

here are some good smoking pics we could print on the pack.

The pictures *might* put off new smokers. There is a theory that the worse the picture, the more people think "shit look at that! I must be hooked!"

So much the better for the tobacco companies.

Every time it changes, they smack their hands together.

It was Dennis Leary, who said something to the effect, that tobacco- companies, could sell black boxes with a skull and crossbones as the only picture and call them "Tumor" and nothing would change!

I think, he has a point!

In UK there used to be adverts in the back of comics like Viz that had cigarettes Called "Death" in a black packet. They were for sale for years, so presume they were quite popular.

[Edit]: http://www.moodiereport.com/Martin/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/deathcigarettes.jpg

Edited April 8, 201511 yr by Shiver

Public Health Ministry could also consider to put accident pictures on vans and buses......

BTW, is it already Thursday ???? Ohh my bad, Thursdays is the TAT nonsense due.

Edited April 8, 201511 yr by jethro69

The possibility of printing pictures on every individual cigarette should also be looked into.

Better put big stickers on those white minibuses, they kill more people.

Even if they put the whole of the British National gallery outside the box it won't make any difference.

Upt the price to 400Baht a packet and then I will tell you if people will quit smoking.

Smokes in Aus cost about AUD 20 have plain packaging and pictures, has some effect. Education has the bigger effect I think.

I'll believe the government is truly concerned about our health when they finally outlaw the production and sale of cigarettes. All this floundering around with warnings and pictures while they rake in big bucks, is a bunch of hypocritical BS.

Van Gogh, Picasso, Doctor's BS, haven't stopped me for 66 years

so some new images of posed horrors won't either. I know more very healthy, fun loving smoking people, always invited to parties because they are far more gregarious then the non smoking, usually overweight/scowling, unfriendly

crowd. I always have an excuse to talk to a pretty girl - Do you have a light or

a cigarette or is my smoking bothering you ? Often, seeing me light up, a girl will ask to borrow one , ( they don't usually carry a pack ),and the usual payback is generous !

The smoker of tomorrow!!

Even if they put the whole of the British National gallery outside the box it won't make any difference.

Upt the price to 400Baht a packet and then I will tell you if people will quit smoking.

Smokes in Aus cost about AUD 20 have plain packaging and pictures, has some effect. Education has the bigger effect I think.

Not the black market ones. They're cheaper.

......How about a picture of a cancerous lung in 3D. That will get attention real fast!

At present, cigarette packs have already devoted 55 per cent of their space to scary pictures

Am I accidently reading a flash back on ThaiVisa from this time last year?

The packs went to at least 80% picture, possibly 85% mid to late last year...I can't name the exact amount, but I can tell you that they're bigger than Australian cigarette packets, who go further and ban branding as well.

If the ThaiVisa staff would like pictures, let me know.

why not just ban them ?

everybody should know by now it is resulting in cancer ....

and the tax levied on them does not outweigh the cost, specially thais pay nothing for hospital visits, not like farang (hey maybe that why the milk us all they can, to compensate)

Will not work.

Increases the defiance is all it does for kids smokers...

Write on the packs,:

''Very stupid to breathe this poison''

It will make it harder for them to 'save face' when peers point at the packs....

Van Gogh, Picasso, Doctor's BS, haven't stopped me for 66 years

so some new images of posed horrors won't either. I know more very healthy, fun loving smoking people, always invited to parties because they are far more gregarious then the non smoking, usually overweight/scowling, unfriendly

crowd. I always have an excuse to talk to a pretty girl - Do you have a light or

a cigarette or is my smoking bothering you ? Often, seeing me light up, a girl will ask to borrow one , ( they don't usually carry a pack ),and the usual payback is generous !

Yup,

This is exactly how nice Thai girls pick up on this filthy stinky habit. Trying to be like farangs, who are supposed to know better....

Even if they put the whole of the British National gallery outside the box it won't make any difference.

Upt the price to 400Baht a packet and then I will tell you if people will quit smoking.

Smokes in Aus cost about AUD 20 have plain packaging and pictures, has some effect. Education has the bigger effect I think.

Plain packaging is bad.

Was having medical check up and told doctor I smoked. He said that if I wouldnt stop at least use the 'lighter' smokes. So i changed from 12mg to 4mg In the hope of eventually getting lower until I quit.

Then came along plain packaging. The mg content is no longer stated so for all I know I could be on 16mg.

The do gooders say that they removed the info as all smoking is bad. Well that is correct but it has made it a lot harder for me to quit as I cannot wean myself off by having low mg.

So with that in mind, why not take off the alcohol content. Its all bad so why should someone need to know if they only drink 1% alcohol?

Stupid reasoning by idiots.

And no, pictures make no difference.

I am a smoker and I know that it is bad for me but that's my choice and if the worse comes I will have no one to blame but myself. If I am with friends and I know they do not smoke or do not like smoke around them I will go for a small stroll away while enjoying my cancer stick. For anyone living in bkk or any city with high road vehicle usage this is just as bad unless you are wearing a gas-mask. Since I have lived here I have seen tax shoot up hand over fist on cigarettes so of course the governments here and world wide do not want us to quit as they are making far to much money and if we did quit they would just find another thing to tax. Maybe in another 60-100yrs we will be taxed on of much oxygen we breathe per day. Now that is scary!!!

They should include warnings in braille for blind smokers.