Analysis
The law prescribes health warnings on each pack, carton and all forms of external packaging of tobacco products which must be displayed in indelible characters, in the form of text and color images. The health warnings must describe the harmful effects of tobacco consumption and cover at least 70% of the main surfaces, front and back of the package of tobacco and external packaging.
The enforcement decree requires that one lateral surface include information on constituents and emissions information. The implementing administrative order specifies that these messages should contain information concerning either quitting tobacco, the risk of tobacco addiction, or the negative economic and social effects of tobacco use. The technical guidelines depict the two lateral sides as covered by an additional text-only health warning and quitline information.
The warnings must rotate every 24 months. The administrative order further requires that within each 24-month period, one warning is to be used for the first 12 months, and the other warning is to be used for the following 12 months. There is a three-month transition period between each series during which the warnings for both series can be used simultaneously.
The law meets FCTC Art. 11 and aligns with the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines with respect to the adoption of large, clear, visible, legible health warnings that cover at least 30% of the principal display areas.
