Maldives

The law provides that warning notice must appear on each pack of tobacco products.

The law meets FCTC Art. 11 with regard to warning requirements on unit packaging and labeling.

The law requires that warning messages appear on both the pack and the carton.

The law meets FCTC Art. 11 with regard to warning/messages required on outside packaging and labeling.

The law requires that the health warnings texts be in the Dhivehi language.

The law meets FCTC Art. 11 with regard to warning text in the principal language (s) of the country.

The law requires that the warning notice be printed in such a way that the warning statement is not easily damaged or erased when a pack or carton of a product containing tobacco is opened and closed. It further specifies that the elements of a health warning must remain intact when the pack is open, and that the combined health warning on a flip-top lid may be split when the pack is opened, but only in a manner which ensures the graphical integrity and visibility of the text, photograph and smoking cessation information.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines with regard to the requirement that warnings or messages may not be placed where they may be permanently damaged or concealed when opening the pack.

The law has no prohibition on tax stamps or other required markings being placed where they may conceal warnings or messages.

To align with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines, the law should require that tax stamps or other required markings not be placed where they may conceal warnings.

The current Design and Layout Requirements for Health Warnings require that an information/explanatory message be displayed on one side of the package. This current statement required on smoked tobacco product packaging is: "Tobacco contains 250 toxic chemicals. These chemicals harm vital organs of the body and cause painful diseases like cancer, stroke and lung damage."

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines with respect to qualitative constituents and emissions disclosures.

The law contains no prohibition on the display of figures for emission yields (including tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide). In fact, the law states that packages must display the "constituents present in the tobacco product, details that are released from the tobacco product, and the quantities of the constituents present in it that are prescribed by the Ministry." However, the implementing regulations contain no further details about this requirement such as where the information should be located. Therefore, the regulatory status code "Uncertain" is given.

To align with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines, the law should prohibit the display of figures for emission yields as such figures can be misleading to consumers.

The law does not require plain packaging. 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.

The law prohibits misleading tobacco product packaging and labeling, including any labeling deemed misleading about the tobacco product; any label, drawing, writing or other means used to suggest reduced health risk associated with use of the tobacco product; and any phrasing or drawing or writing when labeling a product containing tobacco that profess to reduce health risk compared to a different tobacco product. Use of terms such as "mild" or "light" is specifically prohibited.

The law meets FCTC Art. 11 with regard to the prohibition on misleading tobacco product packaging and labeling including terms, descriptors, trademarks, or figurative or other signs.