Thai court approves bigger warnings

Thai cigarette manufacturers will have to print even larger pictorial health warnings by Sept. 23, now that the Supreme Administrative Court has ruled in support of a new regulation by the Public Health Ministry, according to a report in The Nation.

In line with the regulation, pictorial warnings must now cover at least 85 percent of space on the two largest sides of each package.

Earlier, the tobacco industry had secured an injunction from the Central Administrative Court.

The Supreme Administrative Court, however, decided to scrap the injunction on the grounds that the Public Health Ministry has proceeded with proper procedures and introduced the regulation to protect people’s health.

There will be a 90-day grace period for retailers to clear their existing stock of cigarettes, according to the Disease Control Department.

Currently, cigarette packages have pictorial warnings that cover about 55 percent of packets. After the grace period, companies that fail to abide by the new regulation will face a fine.