Norway - health secretary no graphic warnings on snus boxes for now..

May 10, 2010 - The World Health Organization wants picture warnings on snus boxes. The Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services will not comply.

State Secretary Roger Ingebrigtsen in the Ministry of Health says researchers are unanimous when it comes to the dangers of smoking, however, the dangers of snus are not uncontested, Ingebrigtsen says. WHO points out that young people who begin to use snus, may later progress to cigarette smoking.

This is a surprising response from the minister of health. If for not anything else - the use of snus will leave the user a nicotine addict must likely for the rest of their life.

Mr. Ingebrigtsen announced on April 30th a commitment to a comprehensive strategy and plan to reduce tobacco use in Norway and to regain the leadership role it once had in fighting Norway’s leading cause of preventable illness and death.

Norway was the first country to become party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), one of the first in the world to enact a comprehensive tobacco control act, and ahead of many other countries with intensive activities in the first half of the 2000’s, the rates of decline of smoking have slowed significantly in the past five years, suggesting there are inadequate efforts in tobacco control. (State Secretary Pledges Comprehensive Effort to Lead Tobacco Control Efforts in Europe, Press Release, Ministry of Health and Care Services, 4/30/2010)

Reference: No graphic warning on snus boxes, (NRK) Sindre Eidissen Engelstad, The Norway Post. 5/7/2010.

Norway - some related news briefs:
Norway - Philip Morris announces lawsuit challenging tobacco product display ban..;
Norway - drops top cigarette makers from wealth fund..;
Norway - starting January 1, 2010 - tobacco no longer on display..;
Norway strict tobacco display ban by October 2009..