Tobacco Products tested Again
New tobacco legislation ordered to check the content matches the cigarettes labeling. Researchers explained that in general, picture is for illustrative purposes only.
Tobacco products in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have to experience content tests before they can go on sale, as part of the new needs on tobacco in the region.
The head of the National Tobacco Control Committee, Dr. Wedad Al Maidoor, told that soon will order to test all tobacco products for to assure that their ingredients, such as tar and nicotine, were correct.
Before the smoking products will go on sale, they will be tested in a laboratory in Jordan, for to make sure that the content labeling is correct, said Dr. Wedad.
Researchers added also, that not only cigarettes will be tested but all types of tobacco, including cigarettes, sheesha tobacco and loose tobacco for the midwakh, and all current and new cig brands of tobacco products.
For example, under the rule will be tobacco products that claim to contain less than 10mg of tar, for example, will be tested to ensure they contained the appropriate amount. The rule could become effective by the end of this year.
Other need is to put warning photos on tobacco packs, such as blackened lungs, rotting teeth and brain hemorrhage, along with the health warning text.
The UAE Ministry of Health reported that the graphic warnings will be on tobacco packs in September, said researchers. It believes that these warnings will influence the people’s attitudes regarding tobacco.
“The pictures will have to take up 50 percent of the front and back of the tobacco pack,” Dr. Wedad said.
The main aim of this new legislation is to see if the pictures will help smokers to decide, whether to avoid or stop smoking.
