Kazakhstan

As part of the Eurasian Economic Union, health warnings on smoked tobacco product packaging must comply with the Technical Regulations for Tobacco Products (TR TC 035/2015).

Picture and text health warnings are required to cover 50% of the front and back of tobacco product packaging. A total of 12 warnings have been approved for circulation. The 12 warnings must be applied to an equal number of packages.

The law meets FCTC Art. 11 with respect to health warning size, location, and rotation. To more fully align with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines, the law should require that health warnings or messages be updated every 12-36 months.

The Law on People's Health and Health Care, Art. 159, requires picture and text warnings to occupy 40% of each of the principal display areas of tobacco product packaging. Ministry of Health Order 442 requires that the warnings be located at the top of the pack, in Kazakh on the front and in Russian on the back. The 12 authorized warnings must be rotated so that they appear on an equal number of packs during a calendar year.

The authorized warnings are specific to smoking and do not pertain to smokeless tobacco products. Although smokeless tobacco use is rare in Kazakhstan, it does exist. Therefore, to align with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines, the law should require warnings specific to smokeless tobacco to be placed on all smokeless tobacco products.

The Eurasian Economic Union's Technical Regulations for Tobacco Products do not apply to smokeless tobacco products.