Last updated: December 17, 2019
Regulated Contents in Cigarettes
Are contents and/or ingredients of cigarettes regulated?
Ministry of Trade and Private Sector Promotion
The law prohibits the import, distribution and sale of tobacco products containing flavor.
Are cigarette emissions regulated?
Ministry of Public Health
The law requires that the level of nicotine in a cigarette must not exceed 1.1 mg/cigarette, and the level of tar must not exceed 13 mg/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 law prohibits the import, distribution and sale of tobacco products containing flavor. Therefore, the use of sugars and sweeteners 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 sugars and sweeteners in cigarettes.
Menthol, mint or spearmint (including analogues and derivatives)
The law prohibits the import, distribution and sale of tobacco products containing flavor. However, "flavor" is defined to exclude menthol. Therefore, the use of mint and spearmint in cigarettes is banned, but the use of menthol is allowed.
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 mint and spearmint in cigarettes.
Spices and herbs (excluding mint)
Examples include: cinnamon and ginger.
The law prohibits the import, distribution and sale of tobacco products containing flavor. 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 law prohibits the import, distribution and sale of tobacco products containing flavor. Therefore, the use of other flavorings (not covered above) 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 (in addition to those listed above) in cigarettes.
Ingredients that facilitate nicotine uptake
Examples include: ammonia.
The law 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.
The law 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.
The law does not regulate ingredients 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.
