(KPL) World Health Organisation stands with the Lao government, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) to blame Lao Tobacco Company and Lao-China Hong Ta Good Luck Company for their failure to comply with the Tobacco Control Law and its 2016 regulations which requires 75 per cent Pictorial Health Warning (PHW) on all cigarette packs in the Lao PDR.

“WHO and partners consider this non-compliance violation of the Tobacco Control Law and its 2016 regulations and we urge the Prime Minister’s Office and relevant ministries to take firm action against the two companies,” said Dr Juliet Fleischl, WHO Representative to the Lao PDR.

Tobacco control is one of the priorities under the Ministry of Health, to protect the people from the harmful effects of tobacco use. Pictorial health warning is a cost effective control measure that helps reduce tobacco use by discouraging current users to quit and by preventing non users from initiating smoking habits.

The Lao government made a landmark achievement in May 2016, when it announced the regulation to impose pictorial health warning on local and imported cigarettes which came into force on Nov 7, 2016, 120 days after the gazette registration.

However, two local companies, namely Lao Tobacco Company and Lao-China Hong Ta Good Luck Company have requested for extension, which was then extended three times, totaling 19 months. Third deadline was extended from April 30, 2017 which expired on Jan 1, 2018. All other foreign tobacco companies have complied with the law.

The government and the line ministries agreed that sufficient time has been given to the two companies and the violation is not acceptable.

Dr Bounpheng Philavong, Director General, Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion of Ministry of Health reiterated that “This is the time for Lao government to reinforce the pictorial health warning regulation and ensure that all tobacco companies comply with the law and regulation and any violations must be duly addressed in a timely manner.”

The Ministry of Health will hold a press conference to address this issue, and they have requested support from partners to back their position.

KPL