DOHA: Authorities in Qatar and other GCC countries favour bigger and gorier pictorial health warnings on cigarette packets to intensify their war on smoking.
An apex GCC panel has said a study had underlined the need for putting more prominent and scarier visual warnings on cigarette and other tobacco products’ packaging.
“We are strongly in favour of upgrading health warnings on tobacco products’ packaging,” said the GCC Technical Committee for Food and Agricultural Products’ Specifications.
The committee which concluded a two-day meeting here yesterday, said it also favoured making anti-smoking regulations more stringent.
And all food items produced locally and imported must carry the date of manufacturing and not just the date of expiry, the panel said.
No sweets and candies meant for children should be marketed in shapes of weapons or other scary or objectionable items to ensure that children’s behaviour is not affected.
Sweets not meant for children should clearly mention that the products are not suitable for consumption by children below the age of so and so. The panel has taken decisions regarding upgrading food monitoring procedures and regulations governing eateries, grocery stores and supermarkets and outlets selling food items, according to a press statement issued yesterday.
Qatar was represented on the committee by Nawaf bin Ibrahim Al Mana, Director, Department of Standards and Specifications at the Ministry of Environment.
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