New Shocking Cigarette Packs in U.K.

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Horrid photographs are to be displayed, starting October 1, 2009, of the deadliness of habitual cigarette smoking, on every cigarette pack sold from today on in the U.K. The U.K. is the first country in the European Union to display such graphic pictures on cigarette packs. This move is welcomed by the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF), and the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). The horrid photographs will include: rotting lungs, blackened teeth, a corpse lying in a morgue, and a new born baby in an intensive care unit. These displays will replace some written warnings on cigarette packs. However, the written messages, such as “smoking kills” and “smoking seriously harms you and those around you” will still be seen on the front of cigarette packs.

The evidence shows that pictures of this type tend to work. The government is also being urged to have the branding on cigarette packs minimized or removed, so that the ghastly photos will have a greater impact. The manufacturers and sellers of tobacco have until September 30, 2009 to comply with these changes. Smoking is the largest killer of people in England, causing the early deaths of greater than 87,000 individuals annually. Nearly 90,000 individuals have called the NHS Smoking Helpline due to the warnings that appear on cigarette packs now, and the Health Department hopes that these photos will encourage more people to call.

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