Trinidad and Tobago

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

Note: This law has not been reviewed by our legal staff and was not relied upon for purposes of our analysis. We are providing it here for informational purposes only.

COMMENTS: The Tobacco Control Act, 2009 is the primary law regulating tobacco control in Trinidad and Tobago. Most provisions of the Act entered into force on February 17, 2010, pursuant to Legal Notice No. 24 of 2010. Sections 10, 11, and 23-28 entered into force on August 5, 2013, pursuant to Legal Notice No. 154 of 2013. The Act was amended in 2012.

COMMENTS: The Tobacco Control Regulations, 2013 implement requirements under the Tobacco Control Act, 2009, primarily related to packaging and labeling and cigarette dispensers at the point of sale. The Regulations were amended by the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Regulations, 2019, which reduced the number of pictorial health warnings in rotation from 12 to 8.

COMMENTS: Ministry of Health Public Notice No. 1/2022 announces that the moratorium period for pictorial health warnings expire on September 26, 2022. 

COMMENTS: The Tobacco Control (Amendment) Regulations, 2019 were issued by the Minister of Health on May 29, 2019. They were approved by the Senate on February 9, 2021 and the House on February 12, 2021. The Regulations amended the Tobacco Control Regulations, 2013 to reduce the number of pictorial health warnings in rotation from 12 to eight. The pictorial health warnings contained in the regulations are required to appear as of September 26, 2022 pursuant to Ministry of Health Public Notice No. 1/2022.

COMMENTS: Ministry of Health Public Notice No. TCU-001-2023 clarifies the rotation schedule of the pictorial health warnings. Two sets of eight warnings each are to be rotated annually.

COMMENTS: Ministry of Health Public Notice No. TCU-002-2023 serves as a reminder of certain prohibitions on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, including product display at points of sale, promotional offers, and tobacco sponsorship where the name of the sponsoring entity is publicized.

COMMENTS: Ministry of Health Public Notice No. TCU-001-2024 serves as a reminder to the public that the import and sale of unlicensed/illicit tobacco products are prohibited.