EU approves tough new tobacco health warnings

Cigarette packets could feature pictures of rotten teeth and blackened lungs following the approval of tough new health warnings by the European Parliament yesterday.

The parliament backed a proposal that would oblige tobacco companies to print more graphic health warnings that will cover at least 30 per cent of the front and 40 per cent of the back of each packet.

Governments could order the manufacturers to include colour photographs showing the consequences of smoking on the body. Cigarettes could no longer be described as "mild" or "low-tar" and the limit on how much tar and nicotine a cigarette can contain would be lowered.

At present, health warnings must occupy at least 4 per cent of each packet. Apart from increasing the size of the warning, the proposal would oblige tobacco companies to print the warning in black on a white background rather than as at present in "contrasting colours".

EU health ministers meeting in Brussels will today consider the proposal and although they are expected to support tougher warnings, some feel that publishing grotesque pictures of rotting lungs may be a step too far.

Tobacco companies have already overturned an attempt to ban cigarette advertising in the EU and are likely to resist any move to force them to print the photographs.