Larger warnings without pictorials are planned for cigarette packs by 2015 in an effort to cut the smoking rate three percentage points to 25 per cent of the population, according to news accounts.

Expanded pack warnings are contained in Tobacco Control Programme measures for the years through 2015 that were announced in December by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Xinhua news agency said in a 25 Dec story. The warnings will feature enlarged type and highlighted words in different colours. An expert cited by the news agency said exclusion of graphics in the latest government program means pictorials will not be considered before 2016.
Another expert told Xinhua the new programme does not include increases in cigarette excise tax.
China hopes the new programme will reduce the smoking rate from 28 per cent of the population in 2010 to 25 per cent by 2015, according to a Wall Street Journal blog, the China Real Time Report. The country has about 300 million smokers.
Tightening a loosely enforced smoking ban in public places and ending sponsorships by tobacco companies also are part of the programme, according to the blog. (pi)