DOH releases graphic health warning templates for tobacco products

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MANILA, Philippines—In a bid to warn the public of the ill-effects of cigarette smoking, the Department of Health (DOH) has released 12 templates to be used for the Graphic Health Warning (GHW) printed on cigarette packs.

Under the health department’s Administrative Order No.

2014-0037, the GHW templates must be used on the packaging of cigarette and other tobacco products.

“These 12 templates shall be printed simultaneously and these shall be rotated periodically for each brand family and also for each variant, so that every 24 months, the variations of the warnings shall appear in the market with approximately equal frequency and equal display of health warnings and messages on retail packages,” the DOH said.

The release of the GHW templates – which depict images of the adverse effects of smoking; such as head, neck and throat cancers, gangrene, and emphysema, among others – was eagerly welcomed by various anti-tobacco groups in the country.