Health warnings will be plastered across cigarette products in St Lucia

New rules have been introduced by authorities in St Lucia so all cigarette packets must include graphic warnings.

Facts about the harmful effects of smoking will also be included on every cigarette box.

Under the change, cigarette products will include photos of children with breathing masks, discoloured gums and blackened lungs.

The St Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS) will monitor shipments of tobacco traveling through customs to ensure the new legislation is observed.

Companies that fail to follow the new legislation will not be permitted to enter the country. Hubert Reynolds, head of the SLBS Compliance Department, said those companies which had shipped their products prior to the change will be permitted to sell their items on their arrival.

“Consumers will continue to see the old labels on the market, however, we expect, in the next six months that we will start seeing an introduction of products that carry the new label,” he said.

He added that the Caribbean island’s health department will also investigate possible legislation revisions to prohibit smoking indoors.

“So you would see, in terms of public buildings, the passing [of] laws to reduce the impact of second-hand smoke.”