The Department of Disease Control (DDC) has designed new warning labels for cigarette packs and requires retailers and wholesalers to sell the new packs from 11 April, reports the Bangkok Post.
The new labels are in line with a Public Health Ministry announcement issued last year under the Tobacco Products Control Act and show graphic details of the potential harmful results of smoking. The deputy director-general of the DDC, Dr Khachornsak Kaewcharas, said that the new packs must be sold from 11 April and that those still selling packs with the old pictorial warnings would face fines of up to THB 40,000 (USD 1,197), reports the Bangkok Post. According to Dr Khachornsak there are still retailers that sell cigarette packs completely without graphic warnings and display cigarette advertisement openly. Those that continue to break the law in this manner will face a jail term of up to six months and/or a fine of up to THB 500,000 (USD 14,968) or even a daily fine of THB 50,000 (USD 1,496).