Costa Rica

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This decree is no longer in effect. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This law is no longer in effect. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This decree is no longer in effect. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

COMMENTS: General Law for the Control of Tobacco and its Harmful Effects on Health, Legislative Decree No. 9028 is the main legislation for tobacco control and regulates, among other things, smoke free places; tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and tobacco packaging and labeling.

The Original Language file contains amendments through September 5, 2019. The English translation does not include these amendments.

COMMENTS: Executive Decree No. 37185-S, Regulation of the General Law for Control of Tobacco and its Harmful Effects on Health, contains the implementing regulations issued under the General Law for Tobacco Control which regulate, among other things, smoke free places and tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

In the English translation, only excerpted portions of the legislation that are relevant to the review have been translated into English.

COMMENTS: Ministry of Health Resolution No. 6094 designates the Director of Health Marketing as the entity within the Ministry of Health responsible for approving the health warnings to be displayed on tobacco product packages.

COMMENTS: Directive No. 6095 was issued by the Ministry of Health in July 2013 and contains the design, placement, and contents of six authorized pictorial health warnings warnings. The warnings were required to appear on packaging beginning September 18, 2014.

COMMENTS: Directive DM-RM-6540-2013 on the Interpretation of Law No. 9028 was issued by the Minister of Health to clarify questions related to the display of tobacco products and price lists at points of sale. This was subsequently repealed by Directive DM-JM-3274-2018.

COMMENTS: Executive Decree No. 37778-S, Regulation for the Labeling of Tobacco Products and Tobacco Derivatives, contains the implementing regulations issued under the General Law for Tobacco Control which regulate tobacco product packaging and labeling.

COMMENTS: Directive No. 4979 was issued by the Ministry of Health in November 2014 and establishes the contents and other requirements of the second round of pictorial health warnings. The warnings were required to appear on packaging beginning November 19, 2015 (12 months after the date of publication).

COMMENTS: Directive No. 4960 was issued by the Ministry of Health in November 2015 and establishes the contents and other requirements of the third round of pictorial health warnings. The warnings were required to appear on packaging beginning December 10, 2016 (12 months after the date of publication).

COMMENTS: Directive No. 4482 was issued by the Ministry of Health in September 2017 and establishes the contents and other requirements of the fourth round of pictorial health warnings. The warnings are required to appear on packaging beginning November 9, 2018 (12 months after the date of publication).

COMMENTS: Directive DM-JM-3274-2018 repeals Directive DM-RM-6540-2013, which clarified provisions related to the display of tobacco products and price lists at points of sale. Under Directive DM-JM-3274-2018, the Minister of Health ordered display cabinets to be covered so that tobacco products are not visible at points of sale.

COMMENTS: Directive MS-DM-JG-6335-2019 was issued by the Ministry of Health in December 2019 and extends the fourth round of pictorial health warnings to December 31, 2020. In addition, the directive establishes the contents of the fifth round of pictorial health warnings, which are required to appear on packaging from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021.

COMMENTS: Directive MS-DM-JG-7707-2020 was issued by the Ministry of Health in December 2020 and establishes the contents of the sixth round of pictorial health warnings. The warnings are required to appear on packaging from January 1, 2022 until December 31, 2022.

COMMENTS: Directive MS-DM-JG-6584-2021 was issued by the Ministry of Health in December 2021 and establishes the contents of the seventh round of pictorial health warnings. The warnings will be required to appear on packaging from January 1, 2023 until December 31, 2023.

COMMENTS: Law No. 10066 regulates e-cigarettes with and without nicotine and heated tobacco products. The law addresses use in public places, sales to minors, and taxes. 

COMMENTS: Directive MS-DM-FG-7209-2022 was issued by the Ministry of Health in December 2022 and establishes the contents of the eighth round of pictorial health warnings. The warnings are required to appear on packaging from January 1, 2024 until December 31, 2024.

COMMENTS: Ministry of Health Resolution MS-DM-FG-7211-2022 extends the transition period between specified rounds of health warnings from two months to six months. This change applies to the seventh round of warnings (appearing beginning January 1, 2023) and the eighth round of warnings (appearing beginning January 1, 2024).

COMMENTS: Executive Decree No. 43819-S amends Art. 8 of Executive Decree No. 37778-S to permit the extension of the transition period between rounds of health warnings from two months to six months during "exceptional circumstances."

COMMENTS: Ministry of Health Resolution MS-DM-RC-2381-2024 prohibits the import, sale, use, commercialization, advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of “products containing synthetic nicotine” and related accessories.