Saint Lucia goes graphic

Tobacco-product packs sold in Saint Lucia are to include graphic health warnings, according a StLuciaNewsOnline.com story.

And the Caribbean island nation is proposing to introduce a tobacco smoking ban in enclosed public places.

In a change that was implemented on August 16, the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS) revised the standard for tobacco-products labelling, making it mandatory for tobacco-product packs to carry graphic warnings.

Hubert Reynolds head of the SLBS Compliance Department said vendors with tobacco products shipped prior to the August 16 change would be allowed to sell their products until those supplies were exhausted.

He said the SLBS would use the country’s previous rules to evaluate consignments coming into St. Lucia for which the bill of lading was dated before August 16.

This meant that consumers would continue to see the old labels on the market for a while.

However, it was expected that, during the next six months, consumers would start to see the arrival of products with the new labels.

Meanwhile, Reynolds said that the health department would be looking to revise legislation with a view to reducing the impact of smoking.

“The Ministry of Health is also working on legislation to prevent people from smoking indoors,” he said.

“So you would see, in terms of public buildings, the passing [of] laws to reduce the impact of second-hand smoke.”