Laos to enforce strict penalties on tobacco companies failing to comply with new graphic warning regulations
VIENTIANE (Laotian Times): The Lao Ministry of Health is stepping up efforts to reduce smoking by strictly enforcing new rules on cigarette packaging.
Starting 15 August, companies and shops that fail to use the approved graphic health warnings on cigarette packs will face serious penalties, including fines, product seizures, and possible license suspensions.
These packaging rules, which officially came into effect on 13 May 2024, require all cigarette packs to display large, clear images and messages warning about the dangers of smoking.
Tobacco companies were given a 180-day window to comply, but that deadline has long passed. In fact, companies have delayed the process by an additional 253 days, totaling 433 days, now it's over one year since the regulation first took effect.
Authorities now say enforcement is overdue. Stores caught selling cigarette packs with incorrect or outdated warning images will have the products seized and destroyed, and damages will be charged to the manufacturers.
Fines, License Suspensions Await Non-Compliant Tobacco Firms
Tobacco companies that continue using the old packaging will be fined depending on the number of violations.
The first offense will result in a LAK 10 million (US$462) fine, followed by a LAK 20 million (US$925) fine for the second offense.
From the third offense onward, the fine increases to LAK 50 million (US$2314.81), and the matter may be referred to the relevant authorities for further legal action.
In more serious cases, companies may even face suspension or revocation of their business licenses.
This move is part of Laos' broader effort to align with international tobacco control measures. The country is now the third in Asean, after Thailand and Singapore, to implement mandatory graphic health warnings on cigarette packs.
The regulation also bans all branding and advertising on the packaging, allowing only ten approved warning designs that focus on the harmful effects of smoking.
Laos has been a signatory to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control since 2006. By enforcing these new measures, the country hopes to better protect public health, especially among young people who are most at risk of picking up smoking habits.
Tobacco use remains a major public health issue in Laos. More than 800,000 people across the country smoke, and tobacco-related illnesses kill an estimated 6,800 people each year—around 18 deaths per day. The financial cost is equally high, with the government spending approximately LAK 3.6 trillion, or around US$200 million, on healthcare expenses related to smoking each year.
The South-East Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) has previously raised concerns over slow enforcement, noting that many cigarette packs still do not meet the new standards. SEATCA has urged the Lao government to increase inspections and impose penalties to ensure full compliance.
By enforcing these new rules and holding the tobacco industry accountable, Laos hopes to lower smoking rates, reduce health risks, and build a healthier future for its citizens. - Laotian Times
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
13 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Ozempic maker's US$4.1bil profit hit by copycat rivals
COPENHAGEN: Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk posted a sharp rise in second-quarter net profit Wednesday, but rising competition is weighing on sales of its diabetes and obesity treatments Ozempic and Wegovy in the United States. The group reported a net profit of 26.5 billion kroner (US$4.1 billion), a 32 per cent increase from the same period last year, while sales increased by 18 per cent to 76 billion kroner. The drug maker lowered its annual earnings outlook last week, causing its share price to continue its nearly year-long slide. The company had already cut its forecast in May and announced the departure of its chief executive Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen. "In May we mostly thought the bottom was reached," Mikael Bak, director of the Danish shareholders' association, told AFP. Bak said "every is a bit surprised" that the situation has deteriorated. "So now we don't want to see more disappointments, there are reasons to believe the business is healthy, the institution and the products good," he said. Novo Nordisk announced last week that it was promoting Maziar Mike Doustdar, its vice president for international operations, to succeed Jorgensen. The popularity of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss treatments had once made it a darling of investors, boosting its share price and at one point making it Europe's most valuable company. But it now faces growing competition from rival treatments made by US group Eli Lilly in United States. A rule by the US Food and Drug Administration allowing pharmacies to create so-called "compound" copycat versions of the drug, after high demand led to shortages, has also dented Novo Nordisk's earnings.--AFP
New Straits Times
15 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Tobacco Control Alliance: Asean plastic pollution treaty must address toxic cigarette filters
KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations has been urged to ban plastic-based cigarette filters by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (Seatca), as governments worldwide meet to negotiate a treaty on plastic pollution. Seatca said the final round of negotiations in Geneva this week could either help Asean reverse the plastic pollution crisis or continue to pay US$10 billion (RM42 billion) to clean up toxic cigarette filters. The regional health NGO added that Asean member states, except for Indonesia, are parties to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). According to Seatca, an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded globally each year, with 460 billion of those in Asean. These butts are made of cellulose acetate, a plastic that breaks down slowly into harmful microplastics. They also contain more than 7,000 chemicals, including nicotine and heavy metals, that can leach into the environment and harm ecosystems. Seatca called for the treaty to include a polluter-pays principle, making tobacco manufacturers financially responsible for filter pollution and cleanup. The group also said the treaty should reference the WHO's FCTC, reject industry influence, and ensure consistent alignment between environmental and public health policies. It also called for independent and industry-free public awareness campaigns and mandatory collection and disposal systems for tobacco product waste. The group highlighted that while eco-friendly alternatives exist for products like straws and bags, there are no sustainable alternatives for cigarette filters. It said that products marketed by the tobacco industry as "eco-filters" or "green butts" are misleading because they still release tar, nicotine, and heavy metals into the environment and often only break down under industrial composting conditions. Seatca said these "greenwashing tactics" must not fool negotiators, and that the treaty should include a comprehensive ban on all types of cigarette filters, not just plastic ones. The group added that filters, developed in the 1950s to ease public fears about the health effects of smoking, have failed to protect health.
The Star
17 hours ago
- The Star
China girl with heart infection wakes up from coma when shown college acceptance letter
BEIJING (SCMP): A student in central China who suffered from a heart infection and fell into a coma woke up when she was shown her college acceptance letter. On July 11, Jiang Chennan, 18, from Henan province sought medical help for fever and chest tightness, just after taking the 'gaokao', or national college entrance examination, in June, the mainland media outlet Jiupai News reported. Doctors diagnosed Jiang with fulminant myocarditis, the exact cause of which in her case remains unknown. The uncommon condition is characterised by a sudden and severe inflammation of the heart, which often leads to death. Key triggers include viral infections, emotional stress and a poor lifestyle. After being transferred to another hospital, Jiang fell into a coma and was kept alive with artificial heart-lung support in the intensive care unit. Her sister said that the family struggles financially. The father, who was injured in a 2023 car accident, is in debt, has trouble walking and can only rest at home. The mother sells food on the street to support them. They also have a younger brother in secondary school. The family borrowed money from multiple sources, and the cost of Jiang's treatment has already exceeded 200,000 yuan (US$28,000). On the eighth day of her coma, Jiang's father received her college acceptance letter and took it to the hospital, telling his daughter: 'We are all so happy, you have been admitted to university!' The father recalled seeing her eyelids twitch, giving the family hope. The next day, Jiang miraculously woke up and had a video call with her parents, during which she responded with an 'OK' gesture to the news. Her father said that while Jiang was awake, she still struggled to speak. She has been admitted to Huanghe Transportation University, a private school in Henan. Her 'gaokao' score has not been disclosed. Doctors said that Jiang was a 'lucky and miraculous girl', noting that her heart function has fully recovered and her condition is stable. The cause of her quick awakening remains unknown. Her father said: 'No matter how tough our finances are, I will send her to university because it is her dream.' Jiang has been moved to a general ward and is expected to start her studies in September. The story has touched many people on mainland social media. One online observer said: 'Jiang's hope for university may have been crucial to her waking up. I hope she recovers and starts school soon.' 'Jiang is so young and has a heart infection. She should exercise more, stay healthy, and avoid stress to ease her parents' worries and have a happy future,' said another. Apparent miracle stories often strike a chord on mainland social media. On July 15, a three-year-old boy from eastern China survived a plunge from the 18th floor of his residential block. His father tied a big red flower to honour the tree that cushioned his fall. - South China Morning Post
