Kyrgyz Ministry of Health proposes to approve list of illustrated warnings about harm of tobacco to be placed on packages of tobacco products, including hookahs

Elyse Blye

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan , April 24, 2014 (AKIpress News Agency (Kyrgyz Republic)) – Kyrgyz Ministry of Health proposes to approve a list of illustrated warnings about harm of tobacco to be placed on packages of tobacco products, including hookahs. The Ministry has prepared the relevant draft decree and issued it for public discussion.

In addition, the Health Ministry proposed to enact F17.0 classification of clinical conditions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) that was adopted at the 43rd session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland on May 7-17, 1990.

According to the Ministry of Health, number of smokers increased by 3-4 times since 1990, especially among youth and women. Currently, an average of about 10,000 to 12,000 people die for a reason related to tobacco consumption. This number will increase if prevention and cessation measures are not taken, the Ministry said.

The illustrated warnings were approved by the EurAsEC Board of Health at the 10th meeting, which was held on June 16, 2011 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

These warnings are a cost-effective way to convey information to society, the Ministry marked.

Direct benefit to the state and the citizens of Kyrgyzstan from these illustrations is at least 17.7 billion soms, of which about 12.7 billion soms - for state, and 5 billion soms - citizens, while all costs of local tobacco manufacturers are 951,000 soms.

List of illustrated health warnings about dangers of tobacco and tobacco smoke.

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