Last updated: May 11, 2024
Regulated Contents in Cigarettes
Are contents and/or ingredients of cigarettes regulated?
Ministry of Health
Law No. 201 of 2016 prohibits the sale of tobacco products containing certain additives or a characterizing flavor, as described in Art. 7 of the law.
Are cigarette emissions regulated?
Ministry of Health
The law sets maximum emission levels for cigarettes at: a) 10 mg tar/cigarette; b) 1 mg nicotine/ cigarette; and c) 10 mg carbon monoxide/ cigarette. Article 3 also grants authority to the Ministry of Health to regulate cigarette emissions other than tar, nicotine and CO, and to regulate emissions from other tobacco products.
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.
Law No. 201 of 2016 prohibits the placing on the market of cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco with "characterizing flavor." Accordingly, the addition of sugars and sweeteners that produce a characterizing flavor in tobacco products are prohibited and the regulatory status code "Banned" is given.
The law notes that this prohibition of sugars does not apply to the "use of additives essential for the manufacture of tobacco products, for example sugar that is used to replace the sugar lost during the curing process, [which] is allowed only if those additives do not impart a characterizing flavor to the product and do not significantly and measurably increase the degree of addictiveness, toxicity or CMR properties of the tobacco product."
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)
Law No. 201 of 2016 prohibits the placing on the market of cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco with "characterizing flavor." Accordingly, the addition of menthol, mint or spearmint that produces a characterizing flavor is prohibited.
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.
Law No. 201 of 2016 prohibits the placing on the market of cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco with "characterizing flavor." Accordingly, the addition of spices and herbs that produce a characterizing flavor is prohibited.
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.
Law No. 201 of 2016 prohibits the placing on the market of cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco with "characterizing flavor." Accordingly, the addition of flavorings that produce a characterizing flavor is prohibited. In addition, the addition of flavors in any of the components, such as filters, papers, packages, capsules or any technical feature allowing the modification of the smell or taste of those tobacco products or their smoke intensity, is also prohibited.
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.
Law No. 201 of 2016 prohibits the "placing on the market of tobacco products that contain . . . additives that facilitate inhalation or nicotine uptake."
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.
Law No. 201 of 2016 prohibits the "placing on the market of tobacco products that contain . . . vitamins or other additives that create the impression that a tobacco product has a health benefit or presents a reduced health risk."
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.
Law No. 201 of 2016 prohibits the "placing on the market of tobacco products that contain . . . caffeine or taurine or other additives and stimulating compounds that are associated with energy and vitality."
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 that have coloring properties for emissions
Law No. 201 of 2016 prohibits the "placing on the market of tobacco products that contain . . . additives having coloring properties for emissions."
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it prohibits ingredients that have coloring properties in cigarettes.
Additives that have CMR properties in unburnt form
Law No. 201 of 2016 prohibits the "placing on the market of tobacco products that contain . . . additives that have CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic) properties in unburnt form."
Filters, papers, or capsules containing tobacco or nicotine
Law No. 201 of 2016 prohibits placing on the market cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco that contain tobacco or nicotine in filters, papers, or capsules.
Technical features allowing modification of the smell or taste or smoke intensity of the product
Law No. 201 of 2016 prohibits placing on the market cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco with any technical feature allowing modification of the smell or taste or smoke intensity of the product.
