Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs sent a draft Tobacco Act to a round of approvals, which brings new shocking warning pictures on cigarettes packs starting May 20, 2016, informs LETA.

The new Tobacco Act changes the requirements on packaging and labelling tobacco products in line with EU law. In this connection, warning photographs will be introduced on cigarette packs, smoking areas indoors will be eliminated and prisons and their territories will become smoke-free. The amendments are necessary to protect human health and to implement tobacco policy actions of the Green Paper, the ministry said.

The new pictorial warnings will come into effect from 20 May 2016, the rest of the changes will take effect from 2017 onwards.

“Tobacco product packaging is a powerful marketing tool. Picture warnings increase the awareness of smokers’ and especially minors, that smoking is harmful to health, and it also motivates them to give it up,” explained the Minister of Labour and Health Rannar Vassiljev.

“The new pictures on tobacco packs are warnings with text about what smoking can cause to humans,” said Vasiljev, adding that he believes that the realistic illustrations reduce everyone’s desire to smoke.

Picture warnings are obligatory on cigarette, smoking tobacco and hookah tobacco packaging.

The bill prohibits from 2017 also smoking areas in buildings, to guarantee smoke-free environment to people and to protect their health.

In addition, the draft makes prisons and their territories completely smoke-free. The aim is to help ensure that the detainees be freed from addiction to tobacco and to protect their health and the health of the prison staff.

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