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The law requires warnings on unit packaging of tobacco products.

The law meets FCTC Art. 11 with respect to warning labels on unit packaging.

The law requires combined health warnings on unit packages of tobacco products. “Unit package” is defined as the smallest package of a tobacco product available for retail sale. Therefore, warnings are not required on outside packaging and labeling.

To meet FCTC Art. 11, the law should require health warnings on outside packaging and labeling.

The law requires warning text to be in French and English.

The law meets FCTC Art. 11 with respect to warning text appearing in the principal language of the country.

The law requires that the combined health warning be displayed in a manner such that no word of the health warning is severed when the package is opened. Also, the law prohibits obscuring a health warning in whole or in part.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines with respect to warnings not being damaged or concealed when opening the pack.

The law prohibits the import, sale, offer for sale, or distribution of a tobacco product in a package on which any written or combined health warning is obscured in whole or in part.

The law aligns with the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines in its requirement that tax stamps or other required markings may not be placed where they may conceal warnings or messages.

The law does not require descriptive constituents and emissions disclosures. However, one of the eight combined health warnings states “cigarette contains many toxic substances.”

To align with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines, the law should require the display of qualitative (descriptive) constituents and emissions disclosures on every package.

The law prohibits packaging which displays the emission yields or the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide content of a tobacco product.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines with respect to the display of figures for emission yields on tobacco product packaging.

As of December 1, 2023, plain packaging of all tobacco products is required.

Cigarette packaging must be in a standard texture, shape, and color (i.e., Pantone 448C). Only prescribed information may appear on product packaging, including brand name and variant. The law further provides for the appearance of this information, requiring such items as standardized font, font sizes, and colors. Other tobacco product packaging is standardized as well. Packaging further shall not emit any sound or odor or contain any element or feature that changes after sale. 

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines with respect to plain packaging.

The law prohibits packaging that directly or indirectly creates the impression that a particular tobacco product is less harmful than other tobacco products or that is, in any manner, false, misleading, deceptive or likely to create an erroneous impression of the characteristics, health effects, hazards or emissions of that product. The prohibition includes the use of words such as “mild”, “low tar”, “light”, “slim”, “ultra-light”, “smooth”, “natural”, “flavored”, “menthol”, “extra”, and “ultra.” Also prohibited are numbers, trademarks, colors, and color combinations that are likely or intended to mislead consumers.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 11 with respect to a prohibition on misleading terms, descriptors, trademarks, and figurative or other signs.