Pictures of Pinoy cancer patients on cigar packs pushed

MANILA, Philippines - Pictures of Filipinos diagnosed with lung and throat cancer should be used in graphic health warnings on cigarette packs, an anti-smoking group said yesterday.

Emer Rojas, New Vois Association Philippines (NVAP) president, said they submitted four possible photos to the Department of Health (DOH).

Rojas, a throat cancer survivor, said three of the photographs show persons with throat cancer, including himself, and another with lung cancer.

The former radio broadcaster, a chain smoker diagnosed with cancer in 2002, can only communicate using an assistive voice device called electrolarynx that produces a robot-like sound when he talks. Doctors have removed Rojas’ vocal cords, creating a hole in his neck and disabling his ability to speak.

Rojas expressed hope that the DOH will release the templates and come up with the rules and regulations on the Graphic Health Warning Law by the end of the month.

Upon the release of the templates, tobacco companies shall be given one year to comply with the law and another eight months to consume their remaining old stock.

Under the law signed in July, the DOH shall draft 12 templates of graphic warnings.

The templates will be released on rotation basis over two years and will cover 50 percent of the bottom part of cigarette packages.

Other countries that have implemented graphic health warnings use actual images of smokers who have contracted cancer and other deadly diseases associated with smoking.

Rojas said the move aims to stir emotional and psychological awakening to encourage users to quit and scare would-be smokers. –  With Zinnia dela Peña