Last updated: June 27, 2023
Regulated Forms of Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship
Domestic TV and radio (including all broadcast media such as satellite and cable)
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means, specifically including on television and radio.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising and promotion on domestic TV and radio.
Domestic newspapers and magazines
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means, specifically including in print media.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising and promotion in domestic newspapers and magazines.
Other domestic print media, such as pamphlets, leaflets, flyers, posters, signs (not including print advertising at the point of sale)
Other domestic print media, such as pamphlets, leaflet, flyers, posters, signs (not including print advertising at the point of sale)
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means, specifically including in print media.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising and promotion in other domestic print media.
Internet communications
Internet communications (not sales)
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means. Therefore, tobacco advertising via internet communications is prohibited.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising and promotion through internet communications.
International TV and radio (including all broadcast media such as satellite and cable)
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means, specifically including on television and radio. However, the law does not explicitly address advertising on international TV and radio. Therefore, the regulatory status code "Uncertain" is given.
To align with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines, the law should make clear that tobacco advertising and promotion on international (cross-border) TV and radio is prohibited.
International newspapers and magazines
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means, specifically including print media. However, the law does not explicitly address advertising in international newspapers and magazines is prohibited. Therefore, the regulatory status code "Uncertain" is given.
To align with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines, the law should make clear that tobacco advertising and promotion in international (cross-border) newspapers and magazines is prohibited.
Outdoor advertising (e.g., billboards, posters)
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means. Therefore, outdoor advertising is prohibited.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to outdoor tobacco advertising.
Point of sale advertising/promotion
Point of sale advertising/promotion (other than product displays)
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means. Therefore, point of sale advertising and promotion is prohibited.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to point of sale tobacco advertising and promotion.
Point of sale product display
The law does not specifically address point of sale product display. Therefore, the law is interpreted as allowing point of sale product display.
To align with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines, the law should prohibit product display at points of sale.
Conventional mail
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means. Therefore, advertising via conventional mail is prohibited.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising and promotion through conventional mail.
Telephone and cellular phone
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means. Therefore, advertising via telephone and cellular phone s prohibited.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising and promotion through telephone and cellular phone.
Brand marking on physical structures
Distinctive words, designs, images, logos, sounds, or colors to promote tobacco products in entertainment venues, retail outlets, on vehicles and equipment, or other physical structures (brand marking on physical structures, other than on tobacco product packaging and labeling and print material)
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means. This is interpreted as including brand marking on physical structures.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to brand marking on physical structures.
Free distribution of tobacco products
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means. This is interpreted as including the free distribution of tobacco products.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines and meets FCTC Art. 16 with respect to the free distribution of tobacco products.
Promotions with a tobacco product purchase
Promotional discounts, gifts, prizes, rewards to consumers in conjunction with a tobacco product purchase (e.g., buy one pack, get one free or, key chains, t-shirts, coupons, points)
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means. This is interpreted as including promotions with a tobacco product purchase.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to promotions with a tobacco product purchase.
Competitions associated with tobacco products
Competitions associated with tobacco products or brand names, whether requiring the purchase of a tobacco product or not
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means. This is interpreted as including competitions associated with tobacco products.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to competitions associated with tobacco products.
Direct person to person targeting of individuals
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means. This is interpreted as including tobacco advertising and promotion through direct person-to-person targeting.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to tobacco advertising and promotion through direct person-to-person targeting.
Brand stretching/trademark diversification
Non-tobacco products or services using tobacco brand names or carrying a brand logo or other brand indicia (brand stretching)
The law prohibits brand stretching or trademark diversification only with respect to clothes or school stationery. This suggests that other non-tobacco products or services are permitted to use tobacco brand names or carry a brand logo or other brand indicia.
To align with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines, the law should prohibit all brand stretching.
Reverse brand stretching or brand sharing
Tobacco products or services using non-tobacco brand names (reverse brand stretching or brand sharing)
Although the law specifically addresses brand stretching, it does not address reverse brand stretching – tobacco products or services using non-tobacco brand names. Thus, the law is interpreted as allowing reverse brand stretching.
To align with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines, the law should prohibit reverse brand stretching.
Toys that resemble tobacco products
The law prohibits the sale of toys that resemble tobacco products.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to toys that resemble tobacco products.
Candy that resembles tobacco products
The law prohibits the sale of candy that resembles tobacco products.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to candy that resembles tobacco products.
Retailer incentive programs
Retailer incentive programs (e.g., rewards to retailers for achieving certain sales volume, enhanced displays, etc.) or other payments to encourage them to sell tobacco products
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means. This is interpreted as including retailer incentive programs.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to retailer incentive programs.
Paid placement of tobacco products in TV, film or other media
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means. Therefore, paid placement of tobacco products in TV, film, and other media is prohibited.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to paid placement of tobacco products in TV, film, and other media.
Unpaid depiction of tobacco use or tobacco products in media that does not serve a legitimate purpose
Unpaid depiction of tobacco use or tobacco products in TV, film or other media that is not legitimate journalistic, artistic, or academic expression or legitimate social or political commentary
Although the law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means, it is uncertain whether this is intended to cover unpaid depiction of tobacco use or tobacco products in media. Therefore, the regulatory status code “Uncertain” is given.
To align with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines, the law should specifically prohibit unpaid depiction of tobacco use or tobacco products in TV, film, and other media.
Tobacco industry sponsorship of events, activities, individuals, organizations or governments
Financial or other sponsorship or support by the tobacco industry to events, activities, individuals or groups (e.g., groups involved in sports, the arts, politics, charitable or welfare, or other activities, or youth smoking prevention programs)
The law does not address tobacco industry sponsorship. Thus, the law is interpreted as allowing tobacco industry sponsorship.
To align with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines, the law should prohibit tobacco industry sponsorship, including tobacco industry sponsorship of events, activities, individuals, organizations, and governments.
Publicity of financial or other sponsorship or support by the tobacco industry if tobacco sponsorship is not banned
The law does not address tobacco industry sponsorship. However, the law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means, which would include any publicity of financial or other sponsorship by the tobacco industry.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to publicity of tobacco industry sponsorship.
Promotion by any means that are false, misleading or deceptive
Promotion by any means that are false, misleading or deceptive or likely to create an erroneous impression about a product's characteristics, health effects, hazards or emissions (covering any term, descriptor, trademark, emblem, marketing image, logo, color and figurative, or any other indicia)
The law prohibits advertising and promotion of tobacco products by any means; this is interpreted to prohibit promotion by any means that are false, misleading, deceptive, or likely to create an erroneous impression about its characteristics, health effects, hazards, or emissions.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 13 and the FCTC Art. 13 Guidelines with respect to the promotion of tobacco products by false, misleading or deceptive means.