Last updated: April 22, 2024
Regulated Contents in Cigarettes
Are contents and/or ingredients of cigarettes regulated?
Superintendent of Public Health
The law regulates the contents of cigarettes, including prohibiting characterizing flavors.
Are cigarette emissions regulated?
Superintendent of Public Health
The emissions levels from cigarettes may not exceed: 10 mg of tar per cigarette; 1 mg of nicotine per cigarette; 10 mg of carbon monoxide per cigarette.
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 placing on the market of cigarettes with a characterizing flavor is prohibited. Accordingly, sugars and sweeteners that produce a characterizing flavor are prohibited. The law further states that the use of additives “which are essential for the manufacture of tobacco products, for example sugar to replace sugar that is lost during the curing process” is allowed provided that those additives do not result in a characterizing flavor.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it regulates ingredients used to increase palatability such as sugars and sweeteners in cigarettes.
Menthol, mint or spearmint (including analogues and derivatives)
The placing on the market of cigarettes with a characterizing flavor is prohibited. “Characterising flavour” means “a clearly noticeable smell or taste other than one of tobacco, resulting from an additive or a combination of additives, including, but not limited to . . . herbs . . . [and] menthol.” Therefore, the use of menthol, mint, and spearmint in cigarettes is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it regulates ingredients used to increase palatability such as menthol, mint, or spearmint in cigarettes.
Spices and herbs (excluding mint)
Examples include: cinnamon and ginger.
The placing on the market of cigarettes with a characterizing flavor is prohibited. “Characterising flavour” means “a clearly noticeable smell or taste other than one of tobacco, resulting from an additive or a combination of additives, including, but not limited to . . . spice, [and] herbs . . .” Therefore, the use of spices and herbs in cigarettes is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it regulates 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 placing on the market of cigarettes with a characterizing flavor is prohibited. “Characterising flavour” means “a clearly noticeable smell or taste other than one of tobacco, resulting from an additive or a combination of additives, including, but not limited to, fruit, spice, herbs, alcohol, candy, menthol or vanilla, which is noticeable before or during the consumption of the tobacco product.” Therefore, the use of other flavorings in cigarettes is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it regulates ingredients used to increase palatability such as other flavorings (not covered above) in cigarettes/
Ingredients that facilitate nicotine uptake
Examples include: ammonia.
The placing on the market of cigarettes containing additives that facilitate inhalation or nicotine uptake is banned.
The law furthers FCTC Arts. 5.2 and 9 in that it regulates ingredients in cigarettes 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.
The placing on the market of cigarettes containing vitamins or other additives that create the impression that a tobacco product has a health benefit or presents reduced health risks is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that the law prohibits 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.
The placing on the market of cigarettes containing caffeine or taurine or other additives and stimulant compounds that are associated with energy and vitality is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that the law prohibits the use of ingredients in cigarettes that are associated with energy and vitality.
Additives having coloring properties for emissions
The placing on the market of cigarettes containing additives having coloring properties for emissions is banned.
Additives that have CMR properties
The placing on the market of cigarettes containing additives that have CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic for reproduction) properties is banned.
