Hanoi Declaration on Graphic Health Warnings on Cigarette Packs

We, the participants of the Regional Workshop on Advancing Health Warning on Cigarette Packs, held in Hanoi during 26-27 September 2006, representing nine countries, recognize that tobacco use continues to be a major health problem in the ASEAN region. Approximately 50% of adult males smoke and youths, especially girls, continue to take up smoking.

We also recognize cost-effective tobacco control measures, in particular graphic warnings on cigarette packs. An average smoker has the potential to see the graphic warning appearing on the front of the pack several thousands of times a year. This costs governments almost nothing, but is a huge benefit to public health.

We acknowledge that applying graphic warnings on cigarette packs is the current trend in the ASEAN region and in the world. This provision is also in line with Article 11 of the WHO FCTC which almost all the ASEAN countries have ratified. Countries in the ASEAN that have put in place prominent, graphic pack warnings covering 50% of the pack, such as Singapore and Thailand have been effective in informing smokers on hazards of smoking, encouraging smokers to quit and discouraging would-be smokers from starting. Other countries in the region are in the process of upgrading their pack to graphic warnings.

We are aware of the tobacco industry's strategies to thwart and undermine government initiative to enforce graphic warning through seeking delays, unnecessary long phase-in periods, requesting to finish stock, using flimsy technical excuses, repackaging to render warnings ineffective, and practicing double standards.

We recommend ASEAN governments to:

1. Apply the FCTC principle of going beyond the minimum requirements and upgrade their pack warnings to at least 50% (front and back) of packs, colored pictures, and with text wordings on it.
2. To be alert to any of tobacco industry's attempts to undermine tobacco control efforts and not entertain industry requests that prevent effective graphic warnings to be applied to cigarette packs.
3. Fund and conduct research to identify warnings that are effective to the public
4. Renew the set of graphic warnings on a regular basis, 2 years at the maximum, to prevent the warnings from becoming stale.
5. Introduce graphic warnings on local, imported, and duty free cigarettes.
6. Introduce graphic warnings by 2008, and put in place effective measures to monitor and to ensure compliance.