Last updated: January 9, 2023
Regulated Contents in Cigarettes
Are contents and/or ingredients of cigarettes regulated?
The law states that the Government of Georgia may issue a normative act to determine whether to allow or ban “such feature or element of a tobacco product which will give it a characterizing flavor.” However, as of the date of this review, no such normative act had been issued.
Are cigarette emissions regulated?
Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs
The law regulates cigarette emissions, including nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide. The law sets the maximum amount for each substance:
a) For tar – 10mg per cigarette;
b) For nicotine – 1mg per cigarette;
c) For carbon monoxide – 10mg per cigarette (only for filtered cigarettes).
Sugars and sweeteners (other than those added to replace sugars lost during the curing process)
Examples of sugars and sweeteners include: glucose, molasses, honey and sorbitol.
The law authorizes the Government to regulate the use of specific ingredients which will give tobacco products a characterizing flavor. However, the Government has not yet issued regulations regarding the prohibition or restriction of ingredients in tobacco products. Therefore, the regulatory status code "Allowed" is given.
To align with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines, the law should prohibit or restrict the use of ingredients used to increase palatability such as sugars and sweeteners in cigarettes.
Menthol, mint or spearmint (including analogues and derivatives)
The law authorizes the Government to regulate the use of specific ingredients which will give tobacco products a characterizing flavor. However, the Government has not yet issued regulations regarding the prohibition or restriction of ingredients in tobacco products. Therefore, the regulatory status code "Allowed" is given. Therefore, the use of menthol, mint, or spearmint in cigarettes is allowed.
To align with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines, the law should prohibit or restrict the use of ingredients used to increase palatability such as menthol, mint, or spearmint in cigarettes.
Spices and herbs (excluding mint)
Examples include: cinnamon and ginger.
The law authorizes the Government to regulate the use of specific ingredients which will give tobacco products a characterizing flavor. However, the Government has not yet issued regulations regarding the prohibition or restriction of ingredients in tobacco products. Therefore, the regulatory status code "Allowed" is given. Therefore, the use of spices and herbs (excluding mint) in cigarettes is allowed.
To align with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines, the law should prohibit or restrict the use of ingredients used to increase palatability such as spices and herbs (excluding mint) in cigarettes.
Other flavorings (not covered above)
Includes fruit flavorings. Examples of flavoring substances include benzaldehyde, maltol and vanillin.
The law authorizes the Government to regulate the use of specific ingredients which will give tobacco products a characterizing flavor. However, the Government has not yet issued regulations regarding the prohibition or restriction of ingredients in tobacco products. Therefore, the regulatory status code "Allowed" is given. Therefore, the use of other flavorings (not covered above) in cigarettes is allowed.
To align with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines, the law should prohibit or restrict the use of ingredients used to increase palatability.
Ingredients that facilitate nicotine uptake
Examples include: ammonia.
While the law grants the authority to regulate flavorings, it does not regulate ingredients that facilitate nicotine uptake. Therefore, the use of ingredients in cigarettes that facilitate nicotine uptake is allowed.
To further FCTC Arts. 5.2 and 9, the law should regulate ingredients that facilitate nicotine uptake, such as ammonia.
Ingredients which may create an impression of health benefits
Examples include: vitamins, such as vitamin C and vitamin E, fruit and vegetables (and products resulting from their processing such as fruit juices), amino acids, such as cysteine and tryptophan, and essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6.
While the law grants the authority to regulate flavorings, it does not regulate ingredients that may create an impression of health benefits. Therefore, the use of ingredients in cigarettes that may create an impression of health benefits is allowed.
To align with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines, the law should prohibit the use of ingredients in cigarettes that may create an impression of health benefits.
Ingredients associated with energy and vitality
Examples include: caffeine, guarana, taurine and glucuronolactone.
While the law grants the authority to regulate flavorings, it does not regulate ingredients that are associated with energy and vitality. Therefore, the use of ingredients in cigarettes that are associated with energy and vitality is allowed.
To align with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines, the law should prohibit the use of ingredients in cigarettes that are associated with energy and vitality.
