Togo

Togo became a Party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on February 13, 2006.

Smoke Free Places

Smoking is prohibited in all indoor public places, indoor workplaces, and means of public transport except in hotels, restaurants, bars, public bus stations, ferry terminals, ship terminals, railroad stations, and air terminals, where designated smoking areas are permitted.

Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship

Virtually all forms of tobacco advertising and promotion are banned. All forms of financial or other tobacco sponsorship are also prohibited.

Tobacco Packaging and Labeling

Tobacco product packages must display rotating, text-only health warnings on 65 percent of each principal display area. Misleading terms such as “light” and “low” are prohibited on tobacco packaging, but other misleading packaging (e.g., colors, numbers, and symbols) is not prohibited. 

Cigarette Contents and Disclosures

The law does not grant the authority to regulate the contents of cigarettes. The law requires that manufacturers and importers disclose to government authorities information on the contents and emissions of their products.

Sales Restrictions

The law prohibits the sale of tobacco products via vending machine, the internet, and in educational facilities, stadiums, healthcare facilities and cultural facilities. The law also prohibits the sale of single cigarettes and small packets of cigarettes. The sale of tobacco products is prohibited to persons under the age of 18.

Roadmap to Tobacco Control Legislation

The Law Concerning the Production, Sale and Consumption of Tobacco and its Derivative Products became effective as of January 14, 2010. It regulates, among other things, restrictions on public smoking; tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and tobacco packaging and labeling.

The Law authorized the Council of Ministers to issue decrees implementing the law. The Council of Ministers has issued the following five decrees: (1) Decree No. 2012-072 Concerning the Prohibition of Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship of Tobacco and its Derivative Products in Togo, which prohibits all domestic and cross-border means of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; (2) Decree No. 2012-071 Concerning Regulation of Points of Sale of Tobacco and its Derivative Products in Togo, which regulates points of sale of tobacco and tobacco products; (3) Decree No. 2012-046 Concerning the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places; (4) Decree No. 2012-047 Concerning Modalities for the Implementation of Rules Concerning Packaging and Labeling of Tobacco and its Derivative Products; and (5) Decree No. 2012-050 Concerning the Composition, Attributions and Functioning of the National Committee for Tobacco Control (CNLT – Comité National de Lutte Contre le Tabac).

Four administrative orders were issued by the Ministry of Health in August 2013: (1) Administrative Order No. 136/2013 Concerning the List and Rotation of Health Warnings to Be Printed on Packaging Units of Tobacco and its Derivative Products; (2) Administrative Order No. 137/2013 Determining the Procedures for the Printing and Formatting of the Borders of Health Warnings and Other Specifications; (3) Administrative Order No. 138/2013 Determining the Procedures for the Establishment of Smoking Areas in Public Places Where Smoking is Prohibited; and (4) Administrative Order No. 139/2013 Determining the Templates for Signs Banning Smoking in Public Places and Indicating Areas Set Aside for Smokers.

Two administrative orders were issued by the Ministry of Health in February 2022: (1) Administrative Order No. 053 Setting the Maximum Content of Tar, Nicotine and Carbon Monoxide and (2) Administrative Order No. 054 on the List of Health Warnings to Be Recorded on Unit Packs of Tobacco and Derivatives.

Review Status

This country’s legal measures were reviewed by our legal staff in consultation with in-country lawyers or tobacco control experts.