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[av_heading heading=’Cigarette makers, sellers told: ‘Heed graphic warning law’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MERIANNE GRACE EREÑETA
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ILOILO City – The Department of Health (DOH) warned cigarette manufacturers to follow the Graphic Health Warnings (GHW) Law that came into effect on Nov. 4.
Graphic health warnings should be printed on 50 percent of the principal display surfaces of any tobacco package (front and back).
“We expect all cigarette manufacturers, retailers and department store owners to sell dapat cigarettes with graphic health warnings or picture-based warnings na,” Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 senior health program officer John Lapascua told Panay News.
The purpose of the graphic health warnings is to inform smokers of the ill-effects of cigarette, said Lapascua.
“Studies have shown nga dako ang chance sang isa smoker nga mag untat panigarilyo kun may graphic health warnings. So let us not deprive the smokers the right information about the ill-effects of smoking,” added Lapascua.
One in every three Filipinos is a smoker, DOH data showed.
Under the Graphic Health Warnings Law, no person or legal entity shall sell or commercially distribute or display any cigarette or tobacco product without graphic health warnings.
Erring manufacturers, importers and distributors will be fined the following:
* not more than P500,000 for the first offense
* not more than P1 million for the second offense, and
* not more than P2 million or imprisonment of not more than five years, or both, at the discretion of the court, for the third and succeeding offenses.
The business permits and licenses, in case the violator is a business entity or establishment, shall be revoked or cancelled.
If the violator is a foreign national, he will be deported after serving the sentence and/or pay the applicable fine without need of further deportation proceedings and should be permanently barred from re-entering the Philippines.
For retailers or sellers of tobacco products as well as their agents/ representatives who violate the law, insofar as they are involved in the display, offering for sale and selling of the covered products, the following penalties will be imposed:
* first offense – a fine of not more than P10,000
* second offense – a fine of not more than P50,000; and
* third offense – a fine of not more than P100,000 or imprisonment of not more than one year, or both, at the discretion of the court. The business permits and licenses, in the case of a business entity or establishment, shall be revoked or cancelled.
Lapascua said the bigger challenge to DOH is regulating sari-sari stores.
“We urge local government units to pass ordinances nga nagabawal sa pagbaligya sang sigarilyo nga tingi-tingi kay kanugon sang graphic heath warning,” said Lapascua./PN
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