Last updated: March 7, 2022
Other Packaging and Labeling Requirements
Warning requirements on unit packaging and labeling (e.g., packs)
The law requires health warnings on all unit packaging of all tobacco products.
The law meets FCTC Art. 11 in this respect.
Warning/messages required on outside packaging and labeling (e.g., cartons)
The Tobacco Control Act requires health warnings on all outside packaging of all tobacco products.
The law meets FCTC Art. 11 in this respect.
Warning texts must be in the principal language(s) of the country
The law requires warnings to appear on the front of the pack to appear in Amharic and warnings on the back of the back to appear in English or another Ethiopian local language.
The law meets FCTC Art. 11 in this respect.
A requirement that warnings or messages may not be placed where they may be permanently damaged or concealed when opening the pack
The law requires that the “outside packaging shall not be made in such a way that normal opening of the package would permanently damage, conceal, obscure, or otherwise hamper the visibility of any portion of the health warning.”
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines in this respect.
A requirement that tax stamps or other required markings may not be placed where they may conceal warnings or messages
The law requires that the health warnings not be obstructed by other legally required packaging and labeling
markings, including tax stamps.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines in this respect.
A requirement to display qualitative (descriptive) constituents and emissions messages
The law does not require the display of qualitative (descriptive) constituents and emissions messages.
To align with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines, the law affirmatively should include this requirement.
Prohibition on the display of figures for emission yields (including tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide)
The law prohibits “any figure or statements about the quantitative emissions of tobacco products on the product, its outside packaging, and inside the product.”
Therefore, the law aligns with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines.
Plain or standardized packaging
Plain packaging of tobacco products is not required in Ethiopia. The FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines provide that Parties should consider adopting plain packaging measures that restrict or prohibit the use of logos, colors, brand images, or other promotional information on packaging other than brand and product names displayed in a standard color and font style. Plain packaging aims to reduce the appeal of tobacco products, to increase the noticeability of health warnings, and to reduce the ability of the packaging of tobacco products to mislead consumers about the harmful effects of smoking.
Prohibition on misleading tobacco packaging & labeling including terms, descriptors, trademarks, figurative or other signs (logos, colors, images that directly create a false impression that a tobacco product is less harmful than other tobacco products)
The law prohibits on the outside packaging and labeling of tobacco products misleading statements and other signs with the likely effect to create an erroneous impression about the product’s characteristics, health effects, hazards or emissions. This includes the use of terms, such as “low tar”, “light”, “ultra light”, or “mild”, “extra”, and “ultra” and similar terms.
The law meets FCTC Art. 11 with respect to prohibiting misleading tobacco packaging and labeling.
