Tobacco anarchy at Dutyfree Mauritius March 2010

While the 4th session of Intergovernmental Negotiation Body of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on a Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products is taking place in Geneva, Mauritius flouts the tobacco law.

 

TOBACCO ANARCHY AT DUTY FREE MAURITIUS  March 2010

 

Illegal Health Warnings

 

The Mauritius regulations (Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco Products) Regulations 2008) indicates that there is no exception for duty-free stores Thus it is illegal to sell tobacco products in Mauritius duty-free stores (whether arrival or departure) unless the packages depict the picture warnings required by Mauritius regulations.

http://www.gov.mu/portal/goc/moh/file/tobacco1.pdf

 

 

 On the 12th of March 2010 I went through the Duty-Free Departure of the Airports of Mauritius and I noticed that all the cartons of cigarettes displayed there were not in conformity with the Public Health Act Tobacco Regulations 2008.

 

• No graphic health warnings at all.
• All illegal health warnings were English text only.
• CAMEL brand- made in Germany- Health Warning: US Surgeon General: Quitting smoking now reduces health risks…
• Light and Extra-Light cigarettes were on sale. For proof, I bought a carton of Peter Stuyvesent Light -made under the authority of American Cigarette Cie (Overseas)ltd (See image) at 22 euros- This brand, like some others,doesn’t even mention the country where these cigarettes were manufactured.
• Stickers mentioning “Tobacco seriously damages health” were pasted on the transparent wrapper of the cartons of some brands like GAULOISES blondes- made in EU.
• Tar and nicotine contents are printed in figures on many brands
• EU directives: “Smokers die younger” was printed on some cigarette brands.
• On a carton of 555 Gold brand was printed “For adults only”- Made under the authority of the brand owner (!) and without any mention of the manufacturer’s name.
• BENSON and HEDGES special filter and the health warning Tobacco seriously damages health is printed on the carton.

 

The information hereunder was sent to the Minister of Health, to the Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Justice on the 10^th of March 2010:

 

The Mauritius picture warnings should be on packages in both duty-free stores at arrival and departure.   Article 11 of the FCTC (packaging and labelling) does not contain an exception for duty-free stores.  Consequently, national requirements must include health warnings for tobacco products sold in duty-free stores. In Mauritius, warnings on packages in duty-free stores would have to be in English and French in order to comply with the FCTC obligation that warnings appear in the principal national language or languages (Art. 11.3).      Guidelines under Article 11 of the FCTC (packaging and labelling) were approved by the Conference of the Parties (including Mauritius) in November 2008.  These guidelines specifically state that there should not be different warnings for tobacco products sold in duty-free stores, and that there should not be exemptions for small volume companies or brands.      Here are excerpts from the guidelines:   36. Article 11.1(b) of the Convention requires each Party to adopt and implement effective measures to ensure that each unit packet or package of tobacco products and any outside packaging and labelling of such products carry health warnings and messages. There should be no exemptions for small-volume companies or brands or for different types of tobacco products.   49. Parties should ensure that the packaging and labelling provisions related to Article 11 of the Convention apply equally to all tobacco products sold within the jurisdiction, and that no distinction is made between products that are manufactured domestically or imported or intended for duty-free sale within a Party’s jurisdiction.

Comments

[Rédigé par : Yannis]

Very interesting: campaigning against tobacco consumption but accepting ads from PETER STUYVESANT!!!

[Rédigé par : Maurice Essien]

Chere Madame,
J'ai la terrible impression qu'ils ne se soucie guerre des directives. Rien qu'a regarder leur magazine et on peut clairement voire des photos de cigarettes sont mis en pub. J'apelerais cela une faute profesionelle grave, car se moquer ou faire fi de la loi est une peine.

[Rédigé par : Duncan Hill]

More sensible is for an exemption in the law to be made for duty-free stores. After all the products are to be consumed outside the country. At least they have health warnings, and people buying will be regular smokers, and they'll only have 1 carton. They surely know the risks.

It would be more sensible for the anti-smoking campaigners to spend their time doing something useful, perhaps discouraging teenagers from starting smoking, rather than fussing about this health warning or that health warning.