The written warnings were introduced in 2003 and have been deemed a success by the Department of Health. A spokesman said that the written warnings had been a success with research showing more than 90,000 smokers had been motivated to call the NHS quit line because of them.
Despite being the first country in the country in Europe to introduce the images several other countries have already placed them onto packets. These include Canada, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and Singapore.
Chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson said: "Written health warnings have encouraged many smokers to stop. These new stark picture warnings emphasis the harsh health realities of continuing to smoke."
Not everyone is welcoming the new images. The smoking lobby group, Forest, said smokers were being unfairly targeted and called the images intrusive and offensive. Simon Clark, director of Forest, said the group supported education efforts "but these pictures are designed not just to educate but to shock and coerce people to give up a legal product".
By Wikinews
Source:
"Graphic images to target smokers". BBC News Online, September 26, 2008.
"Stark images of smoking death on cigarette packets". The Times, September 27, 2008.
"Shock Pictures on Cigarette Packs". Sky News, September 27, 2008.
"Graphic pictures on cigarette packs". The Press Association, September 26, 2008.
