Application of standard GCC card packages of tobacco products

According to the Bahraini Minister of Health Mr. Sadiq Bin Abdul Kareem Al-Shihabi that the Kingdom of Bahrain is committed to Gulf standard cards and packages of tobacco products which has been adopted in August 2011in all GCC countries and then adopted locally by Decree No. 16 by the Bahraini Minister of Commerce and Industry, February 2012. He also stressed that the Kingdom is committed to the application of this standard on time August 9, 2012, where he will not allow entering of any new shipment of tobacco to the Kingdom without the competent authorities to check compliance with specification, including the Gulf came No. GSO 246/2011, and may give traders not later than 6 months to get rid of existing stock have. The Minister of Health Mr. Sadiq Al-Shihabi said that the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Commerce with the Department of Customs are the competent authorities concerned and ensure the application of the above specification through a mechanism has been agreed upon and through numerous meetings took place between these parties. The minister said, too that the Director of Public health had already did the introductory workshop and training to the employees of these entities. The minister pointed out that the GCC specification include all tobacco products and provides some of its clauses on the following: 2/1/4 item the product should not be described or displayed in a way may lead to a false impression about its characteristics or it is less damage. Item 4/2/8 put health warnings about tobacco its products damage on health. Item 3/4 for the warning area, not less than 50% of the basic display area on the lower part of the package front and rear façades for the image. And not more than 40% of the total area of the Warning for the writing. In the meanwhile this will be applied on both the packs of cigarettes and cigars and tobacco for hookah prepared.