According to the Ministry of Health General Director Jose Reis Magno the ministry is against the advertisements for Cigarette 23, as the ads talk about the taste of cigarettes but not the impact on people’s health. 
He said the advertisements violated the International Convention on Tobacco Control that Timor-Leste signed and ratified in 2004.
According to Decree Law 51/2011, tobacco advertising is totally banned on television and radio but it remains legal for banners and posters.
“We have adopted the International Convention on Tobacco and we don’t agree with advertisements like those for Cigarette 23, so we’ve sent a letter to the agent in Indonesia to stop the banners,” said General Director Magno in Kaikoli.
He said there had been no coordination between the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the company before the advertisements were put up in public.
The General Director said while they didn’t have a regulation to stop this, the method was clear if the company didn’t comply and stop the advertising, as the government already approved the convention.
In relation to smoking, those who smoke cigarettes everyday could get sick and suffer from diseases like hypertension, TBC, mouth cancer and others.
Members of National Parliament raised the same concern, as Timor-Leste ratified the International Convention on Tobacco Control, which condemns advertisements like this.
According to the President of National Parliament Vicente Guterres, the parliament would make an effort to consult with the judicial sector on the issue.
“We in parliament will consult with the judicial sector to look into this, as we have ratified the legal convention and we will also look at the law to find a good way to protect the health of the Timorese people,” he said.
Based on World Health Organization research, cigarette advertising could influence children in deciding to smoke, with three out of four children influenced by tobacco advertising in public places.
Statistics also show Timor-Leste has a high tobacco consumption within the Southeast Asian region, with 66% of men smoking cigarettes and 25% consuming other forms of tobacco.
