Cigarette packs to feature warning pictures

In addition to text warnings, cigarette packs will also feature warning pictures to show the harmfulness of smoking, according to a proposal approved by Parliament on Wednesday. The designs will feature, for instance, a picture of a woman coughing up blood, a young man in a morgue or photographs of damaged eyes, teeth or limbs. According to the Health Ministry, the use of combined text and visual warnings is more effective than just text warnings. The warnings are also to gain more prominence in the layout of the packs. 'Smoking kills' and that the cigarette smoke contains more than 70 carcinogenic substances will be featured in the text, as will information about a service that offers help to smokers. There have been several changes in Slovakia over the recent years that were designed to increase the protection of non-smokers and to decrease the availability of cigarettes for children. Restaurants have set up sections for non-smokers and cigarette vending machines have vanished. At the same time, the price of tobacco products has been on the rise. According to the Health Ministry the number of adult smokers is on the decline in Slovakia but this is not the case with children and youth. Smoking causes the death of about 11,000 people in Slovakia per year. Treating diseases related to smoking claims financial costs of between €165-232 million a year.