Cigarette warning inaction criticised

An Irish anti-smoking group has criticised EU health ministers for withholding their support for plans to have graphic warnings on cigarette packets.

ASH Ireland said it was "delighted" by the EU Parliament's support for the measures this week, but the signal the health ministers gave "was dreadful", its chairman, Dr Luke Clancy, said. "It could be reasonable to expect that health ministers would support health issues."

The European Parliament backed the proposals to oblige tobacco companies to print graphic warnings on at least 30 per cent of the front and 40 per cent of the back of packets. It was also proposed to ban the export of cigarettes to developing countries and to scrap the description "mild" or "low" tar.

EU health ministers had been expected to support the tougher measures at a Brussels meeting on Thursday. The Minister for Health was not at the meeting but a Department spokesman said the ministers had not "blocked" the proposal but "put it forward to be discussed at the Swedish presidency" beginning in January.

It is believed that some ministers considered the 40 per cent warnings coverage on the back of packets to be too high. The position of the parliament and the council is likely to be subject to "conciliation".

Dr Clancy said he feared that by delaying the ministers had allowed the tobacco industry more time to "find a way around the regulations".