Kazakhstan suggests EurAsEC depicting smoking-related diseases - cancer and emphysema, myocardial infarction, gangrene of extremities - on cigarette packs, Kazakh Vice Minister of Healthcare Erik Baizhunussov told at a press conference on Tuesday, Gazeta.kz reported.
"In connection with the establishment of the Customs Union, we, the Kazakh side, defended our position. We believe that it is necessary to produce cigarettes with graphic image warnings. At first we met great resistance from the tobacco industry. But at the meeting of the EurAsEC Interstate Council in Minsk our proposal was approved. At a special public hearing the Kazakh side will insist on its position," Baizhunussov stressed.
He also said that the process of introduction of pictograms on cigarette packs must take two years.
The Vice Minister noted that every year more than 25 thousand people die from smoking in Kazakhstan. He urged journalists to participate more actively in the anti-smoking propaganda.