More than 100 countries have adopted pictorial warnings on tobacco products since Canada became the first in 2001, according to a Canadian Cancer Society report that also shows a growing trend toward plain packaging.

Fourteen countries are working on adoption of plain packaging, the cancer group said. Among them is Ireland, where legislation has been passed but technical issues prevented it coming into effect as planned this past May. Three countries, Australia, France and the United Kingdom, have plain packaging and Hungary will by 2018, the society said. ‘Cigarette Package Health Warnings: International Status Report’ was released 9 Nov.
The 105 countries that have adopted graphic warnings depicting diseased organs and corpses account for 58 per cent of the world’s population, the report states. Nepal has the largest pictorial requirement at 90 per cent (front/back average) and will be joined by Vanuatu next year. India and Thailand are next at 85 per cent.
Countries working on plain packaging, which incorporates the warnings on standardised packaging stripped of branding, are Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Uruguay, Thailand, Singapore, Belgium, Romania, Turkey, Finland, Chile and South Africa.