MEPs voted in favour of tough new rules on cigarette labelling this week which would force manufacturers to cover 40 percent of packets with health warnings

Date: 15/06/2000

The European Parliament called for 35% of the front of cigarette packets and 45% of the back to be devoted to health advice, but rejected calls for compulsory photographs graphically showing the ill effects of smoking. They also said branding such as 'low tar' and 'mild' was misleading and should be banned, and called for details of 200 chemicals which are used in tobacco products to be made available to the public. The proposal will now go back to EU ministers for further discussion.