Last updated: September 17, 2019
Regulated Forms of Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship
Domestic TV and radio (including all broadcast media such as satellite and cable)
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. Therefore, tobacco advertising on domestic TV, radio, and other broadcast media is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising on domestic TV, radio, and other broadcast media.
Domestic newspapers and magazines
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. Therefore, tobacco advertising in domestic newspapers and magazines is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising in domestic newspapers and magazines.
Other domestic print media, such as pamphlets, leaflets, flyers, posters, signs (not including print advertising at the point of sale)
Other domestic print media, such as pamphlets, leaflet, flyers, posters, signs (not including print advertising at the point of sale)
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. Therefore, tobacco advertising in other domestic print media, such as flyers, posters, signs, etc., is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising in other domestic print media.
International TV and radio (including all broadcast media such as satellite and cable)
The law prohibits all advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products, including cross-border advertising. Therefore, tobacco advertising on international TV and radio is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with regard to international TV and radio.
International newspapers and magazines
The law prohibits all advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products, including cross-border advertising. Therefore, tobacco advertising in international newspapers and magazines is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with regard to international newspapers and magazines.
Internet communications
Internet communications (not sales)
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. Therefore, tobacco advertising in internet communications is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising via internet communications.
Outdoor advertising (e.g., billboards, posters)
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. Therefore, outdoor advertising is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to outdoor tobacco advertising.
Point of sale advertising/promotion
Point of sale advertising/promotion (other than product displays)
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. The law provides that signs reminding people of the danger associated with the consumption of tobacco and its derivative products are to be posted at the point of sale. Therefore, point of sale advertising and promotion is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to point of sale tobacco advertising and promotion.
Point of sale product display
The law prohibits the display of tobacco products by any means allowing direct access.
To align with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines, the law should prohibit all point of sale product display.
Conventional mail
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. Therefore, advertising and promotion by conventional mail is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising and promotion via conventional mail.
Telephone and cellular phone
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. Therefore, advertising and promotion by telephone and cellular phone is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising and promotion by telephone and cellular phone.
Brand marking on physical structures
Distinctive words, designs, images, logos, sounds, or colors to promote tobacco products in entertainment venues, retail outlets, on vehicles and equipment, or other physical structures (brand marking on physical structures, other than on tobacco product packaging and labeling and print material)
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. Therefore, advertising and promotion by brand marking is prohibited.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising and promotion by brand marking.
Free distribution of tobacco products
The law prohibits providing a tobacco product for free.
The law meets FCTC Art. 16 and aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to free distribution of tobacco products.
Promotions with a tobacco product purchase
Promotional discounts, gifts, prizes, rewards to consumers in conjunction with a tobacco product purchase (e.g., buy one pack, get one free or, key chains, t-shirts, coupons, points)
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. The law further prohibits manufacturers, importers or retailers from offering a discount or right to participate in a drawing, lottery or contest in exchange for a tobacco product purchase.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to promotions with a tobacco product purchase.
Competitions associated with tobacco products
Competitions associated with tobacco products or brand names, whether requiring the purchase of a tobacco product or not
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. The law is interpreted as prohibiting competitions associated with tobacco products. Therefore, competitions associated with tobacco products are banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines, with respect to competitions associated with tobacco products.
Direct person to person targeting of individuals
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. The law also prohibits handing out or distributing any tobacco products and brand merchandise. Therefore, direct person to person targeting of individuals is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising and promotion by direct person to person targeting of individuals.
Brand stretching/trademark diversification
Non-tobacco products or services using tobacco brand names or carrying a brand logo or other brand indicia (brand stretching)
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. The law further prohibits a non-tobacco product from providing advertising in favor of tobacco products. Therefore, the law prohibits brand stretching.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to brand stretching.
Reverse brand stretching or brand sharing
Tobacco products or services using non-tobacco brand names (reverse brand stretching or brand sharing)
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. The law is interpreted as prohibiting reverse brand stretching.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to reverse brand stretching.
Toys that resemble tobacco products
The law prohibits the manufacture and distribution of candies and toys that resemble tobacco products.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines, with respect to the sale or distribution of toys or candy that resemble tobacco products.
Candy that resembles tobacco products
The law prohibits the manufacture and distribution of candies and toys that resemble tobacco products.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines, with respect to the sale or distribution of toys or candy that resemble tobacco products.
Retailer incentive programs
Retailer incentive programs (e.g., rewards to retailers for achieving certain sales volume, enhanced displays, etc.) or other payments to encourage them to sell tobacco products
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. The law is interpreted as prohibiting retailer incentive programs.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines for retailer incentive programs.
Paid placement of tobacco products in TV, film or other media
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. Therefore, paid placement of tobacco products in TV, film, and other media is prohibited.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with regards to paid placement of tobacco products.
Unpaid depiction of tobacco use or tobacco products in media that does not serve a legitimate purpose
Unpaid depiction of tobacco use or tobacco products in TV, film or other media that is not legitimate journalistic, artistic, or academic expression or legitimate social or political commentary
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. Therefore, unpaid depiction of tobacco use or tobacco products in media that does not serve a legitimate purpose is prohibited.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with regards to unpaid depiction of tobacco use or tobacco products in media that does not serve a legitimate purpose.
Tobacco industry sponsorship of events, activities, individuals, organizations or governments
Financial or other sponsorship or support by the tobacco industry to events, activities, individuals or groups (e.g., groups involved in sports, the arts, politics, charitable or welfare, or other activities, or youth smoking prevention programs)
The law prohibits sponsorship if it has the purpose or effect of promotion directly or indirectly tobacco products. The law failed to include several key points including: contributions that promote tobacco use, and contributions with the “likely effect" of promoting tobacco products or use. Therefore, the regulatory status code “Some Restriction” is given.
To align with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines, the law should prohibit all tobacco industry sponsorship. The law further should define the term "tobacco sponsorship" in accordance with FCTC Art. 1(g).
Publicity of financial or other sponsorship or support by the tobacco industry if tobacco sponsorship is not banned
Although the law does not prohibit all forms of tobacco sponsorship, the law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. Thus, publicity of permitted forms of sponsorship would be prohibited by the ban on tobacco advertising.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to publicity of financial or other sponsorship by the tobacco industry.
Promotion by any means that are false, misleading or deceptive
Promotion by any means that are false, misleading or deceptive or likely to create an erroneous impression about a product's characteristics, health effects, hazards or emissions (covering any term, descriptor, trademark, emblem, marketing image, logo, color and figurative, or any other indicia)
The law prohibits advertising and direct or indirect promotion of tobacco products. The law is interpreted as prohibiting promotion by any means that are false, misleading, or deceptive.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to promotion by any means that are false, misleading, deceptive, or likely to create an erroneous impression.
