Picture law for tobacco products

People in Guernsey are being asked to help choose images that will be printed on tobacco products to show the effects of smoking on people's health.

New laws to be introduced later in the year will ensure all such products sold on the island carry picture warnings.

Currently tobacco packs only have written warning messages.

Health Minister Peter Roffey said he hoped the pictures would be a step towards encouraging islanders to quit the habit.

Image options

He said: "We've decided that on the basis of evidence elsewhere that pictorial warnings are better at conveying the health risks of smoking that just written warnings.

"Written warnings tend to be subliminally airbrushed out by the unconscious."

People are being asked to choose 13 images from a selection of 39 to go on tobacco packets.

New laws are also to be introduced in Jersey shortly to ensure that all tobacco products have picture warnings.

Images showing the dangers of smoking will be printed on all tobacco products sold in the UK by the end of 2009.