The World Health Organization (WHO) Friday called on governments to put graphic pictures on tobacco products to show the frightening physical results of smoking.

“Studies reveal that even among people who believe tobacco is harmful, few understand its many specific health risks,” said Dr. Jean-Marc Olivé, WHO Representative in Vietnam.

“Despite this, health warnings on tobacco packages in Vietnam do not provide enough information to warn consumers of the risks.”

According to WHO, cigarette packets should show shocking photos of lung tumors, blood clots in the brain and decaying gums. Experience from around the world shows that pictorial warnings motivate users to quit and discourage people, particularly the young, from starting.

In Vietnam, studies show that application of large pictorial health warnings could help save about 500 lives a year by 2023 and 750 lives a year by 2033.

Vietnam is one of 164 countries that have ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, making it one of the most widely embraced treaties in UN history.

The treaty commits nations to requiring that tobacco products “carry health warnings describing the harmful effects of tobacco use.”

Source: Thanh Nien