392Starting October 4 tobacco companies are obliged to produce all packs with cigarettes marked by pictorial health warnings in Ukraine. 10 graphic warnings that are being used in EU countries started appearing in retail sale already this week. Now a Ukrainian pack of cigarettes has pictorial health warnings printed on 50% of one side. 50% of the other side is occupied by the text message. Before that regulations Ukrainian packs had 30% text message on both sides.
Advocacy Center “LIFE” conducted a press conference and a public event where public advocates, doctors and Members of Parliament presented new look of cigarettes to media and then displayed huge symbolic packs with warnings. The event had a high media resonance.
The legislation yet approvedby the Parliament in 2009 got into effect only yesterday due to the unprecedented opposition of the Cabinet of Ministers during nearly 2 years. Public advocates had to conduct anintense advocacy campaignafter even after approving the legislation in the Parliament. In November 2010 during COP-4 in Uruguay Advocacy Center “LIFE” collected nearly 400 signatures of the TC organization leaders under the appeal to the Prime Minister to unblock the process and stop illegal resistance to the imposing regulation on graphic warnings.
After numerous publications in media, press conferences and public actions Cabinet of Ministers signed a Regulatory Act # 306 that enables introduction of the health warnings in 18 months – more than enough time for tobacco industry to adjust to such changes. At the same time the Ministers excluded two “ugly” pictures out of the list and changed them to “less ugly”.
The fines for the production and distribution of not properly marked packs range from 2,000 – 20,000 UAH ($250-$2,500 or 200-2,000 Euros). At the same time old packs with text warnings will remain in sale until the stock is over.
In spite of strong tobacco lobby inside the country, often tightly connected to the government, Ukraine is progressing this year in introducing comprehensive TC legislation. Thus, on September 16 comprehensive total tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion bill got into effect. Since yesterday Ukrainian cigarettes will be marked with graphic warnings and on December 17 all cafes, bars and restaurants will become 100% smoke free.