Gov't to mandate graphic warnings on heated tobacco product packages

Manufacturers of heated tobacco products will be required to replace warnings on their packages in December following government guidelines. The left photo shows the current warning showing only a needle, which many have criticized as an "unclear and ineffective" written warning, while the one on the right shows a cancer-ridden organ. / Yonhap

By Lee Kyung-min

Manufacturers of heat-not-burn (HNB) cigarettes, or heated tobacco products, will be required to put graphic warnings about health risks associated with smoking including cancer, similar to warnings all other cigarette manufacturers currently use. Such products will have to use graphic images of cancer-ridden organs, a much strengthened standard than the current image of a needle, which many have criticized as "unclear and ineffective."

The Ministry of Health and Welfare unveiled a set of smoking deterrence measures, Monday, to replace the current graphic warnings with more "disturbing" ones and providing facts, intended to increase their effectiveness in preventing nicotine consumption including HNB products. New warnings must completely replace the current ones by Dec. 23, six months after the official announcement of the plan between May 14 and June 4.

The measure followed a one-year in-depth deliberation commissioned by a 13-member special committee comprised of government officials and private experts. A survey of 1,500 smokers and non-smokers was conducted to reflect public opinion.

The government plan seeks to dispel the conventional notion that such products are less harmful and therefore should remain exempt from stringent health policy. HNB-produced smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, of which more than 70 are carcinogenic substances, known to cause, initiate or exacerbate cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), all forms of tobacco use are harmful, including HNBs. "Tobacco is inherently toxic and contains carcinogens even in its natural form, and therefore they should be subject to policy and regulatory measures applied to all other tobacco products, in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control." Korea is bound by the treaty to fight the tobacco epidemic.

The strengthened measure came amid growing market presence of HNB products only about a year after their launch in Korea. The dominant market player with over 80 percent market capitalization is Philip Morris International Korea's IQOS, followed by domestically produced lil by KT&G and British American Tobacco Korea's glo. Data from the Ministry of Strategy and Finance showed about 230 million non-HNB cigarette packs were sold in January, while about 20 million HNB packs were sold, accounting for 8 percent of the market, almost a three-fold increase compared to 3 percent seven months earlier.

Meanwhile, for manufacturers of non-HNB cigarettes, the ministry will order current pictures to be replaced with more disturbing ones depicting lung, laryngeal and oral cancer, heart disease, strokes, sexual function disorder, the effects of secondhand smoke, the effects on unborn babies of pregnant smokers and premature death. Pictures depicting premature skin aging were ordered replaced with that of tooth discoloration following their questionable efficacy as a deterrent.

The ministry added that companies will have to make written warnings more concise and provide specific risk figures. The warnings for lung cancer will be revised to "The risk of lung cancer increases up to 26 times. Will you smoke?" from the current "Smoking is a cause of lung cancer. Will you go ahead and smoke?"

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