Macau (SAR)

China became a Party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on January 9, 2006. Macau, as a Special Administrative Region of China, is bound by China’s ratification of the treaty.

Smoke Free Places

Smoking is prohibited in indoor public places and indoor workplaces, with the following exceptions: 1) smoking lounges in airports; 2) hotel guest rooms; and 3) designated smoking rooms in casinos. Smoking is also prohibited on all public transportation. Several outdoor places have bans or restrictions on smoking. Smoking is banned in outdoor areas of public swimming pools, athletic facilities, primary and secondary schools, and healthcare facilities. Smoking is restricted to designated areas in parks, gardens, beaches, and outdoor areas of institutions of higher education.

Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship

Virtually all forms of tobacco advertising and promotion through any medium are prohibited. The law allows for advertising within the trade and product display at points of sale where only tobacco is sold. Only price information is allowed at other points of retail sale. All forms of tobacco sponsorship are prohibited.

Tobacco Packaging and Labeling

As of January 1, 2013, smoked tobacco product packages must carry one of six authorized pictorial health warnings, occupying 50 percent of the two principal display areas. The health warnings are made up of an illustration, a health warning, and a quitline number. The combined warnings must appear on one principal display area in Chinese and on the other principal display area in Portuguese. Misleading descriptors or other indicia suggesting that one brand is less harmful than another are prohibited, unless the term is part of a trademark that was registered when Law No. 5/2011 was enacted.

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 of their products.

Sales Restrictions

The law prohibits the sale of tobacco products via vending machines and the internet; and in educational facilities, playgrounds, stadiums, healthcare institutions, and other specified locations. The law prohibits the sale of small packets of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. However, there are no restrictions on the sale of single cigarettes. The sale of tobacco products is prohibited to persons under the age of 18.

E-Cigarettes

The sale and advertising and promotion of e-cigarettes are prohibited. The use of e-cigarettes is prohibited in places where smoking is prohibited.

Roadmap to Tobacco Control Legislation

Law No. 5/2011, Regime for prevention and control of tobacco use, is the primary tobacco control law for Macau and governs, among other things, smoking free environments, tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and tobacco packaging and labeling. The law was amended by Law No. 9/2017. Several regulations were issued under Law No. 5/2011 including: (1) Administrative Regulation No. 37/2011 (regulating signs and notices), (2) Chief Executive Order No. 401/2011 (regulating smoking rooms), (3) Administrative Regulation No. 16/2012 (regulating layout, form and content of health warnings and messages), (4) Chief Executive Order No. 363/2011 (providing an additional warning for products carrying misleading terms and descriptors), (5) Chief Executive Order No. 296/2012 (establishing requirements of designated smoking rooms in casinos), (6) Chief Executive Order No. 141/2014 (amending Chief Executive Order No. 296/2012 on casinos), and (7) Order of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture No. 84/2017 (establishing requirements for designated smoking rooms in casinos and airports). In addition, the Tobacco Control Implementation Guidelines provide plain language explanations for requirements for smoke free environments in various categories of places.

Review Status

The Special Administrative Region’s legal measures were reviewed by our legal staff. No lawyers or tobacco control experts from Macau (SAR) were consulted for the review.