Location and Size of Warnings / Messages on Unit Packaging
30% of Front, 30% of Back
Rotation
Not Required
Number of Warnings / Messages Authorized to Be Displayed at Any Given Time
10
Length of Rotation Period
Unspecified
Analysis
Section 6 of the Tobacco Products Act (TPA) states: “No person shall sell tobacco products unless the packet containing it displays in the prescribed form and manner such information as stipulated in the Second Schedule to this Act.” The Second Schedule requires that any one of ten text-only health messages “shall be displayed in Kiswahili and English on every packet of cigarettes or tobacco product.”
The TPA allows manufacturers to choose any one of the ten text-only warnings, and does not require equal distribution of the warnings or rotation of the warnings.
The law states that the Minister may “change the format, type, size and text of any of the health messages”.
The Tobacco Products Regulations require the health message to cover 30% of the principal display areas (front and back).
Although the law meets the minimum requirements of FCTC Art. 11 with respect to size (at least 30%), to fully align with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines, the law should require that warnings cover at least 50% of both principal display areas. In addition, the law or regulations implementing the law should specify rotation of the health messages and require combined picture and text health warnings and messages.
