The health ministry has ramped up efforts to enforce a new sub-decree making it mandatory for all cigarettes sold in the kingdom to feature written health warnings, issuing letters to an undisclosed number of firms that were not yet in compliance, an official said.

Khun Sokrin, director of the ministry’s national Health Promotion Centre, said that "most, but not all" tobacco manufacturers and importers had fulfilled the terms of the sub-decree, which went into effect on 20 July. Health minister Mam Bunheng said at the end of last month that few firms were in compliance. On Monday, the ministry sent out a letter "urging" those companies that had missed the deadline to begin using the health warnings, Khun Sokrin said. The sub-decree outlines three steps for enforcement: issuing warning letters, temporarily suspending violators and, finally, permanently closing down firms that fail to comply.
Officials said last month that cigarette packages were still appearing on shelves without warnings because stores were unloading stock that had been delivered before the sub-decree went into effect. The warnings are a component of the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which Cambodia ratified in 2005. Last month, the health ministry announced a sweeping ban on all forms of tobacco advertising and promotion, which is also part of the effort to come into compliance with the convention. (sra)