Smokers in Staffordshire will be given a stark reminder of the dangers tobacco poses to health with new packaging legislation allowing picture health warnings comes in place.
Images of the devastating effects that tobacco can have will now start to appear on cigarette packs as new stock arrives in shops throughout the county.
The new warnings include pictures of rotting teeth and lungs, premature ageing and a visual of how passive smoking can affect children. They replace the written warnings that are currently on packs.
According to Department of Health statistics, even though the written warnings have been a success, smoking is still the biggest killer in England and causes the premature death of over 87,000 people each year.
The UK is the first EU country to introduce picture warnings on all tobacco packaging.
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for safer and stronger communities Councillor Carol Dean said: “These visuals will hopefully encourage people in Staffordshire who smoke to think more about the consequences of what they are doing.
“Doing to to themselves and other people, and will hopefully also deter young people from starting smoking in the first place.
“The images show very graphically the damage that smokers are doing to their health and we will our best to support health colleagues.”
People who want help quitting smoking can contact the NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 1690 169.
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