Last updated: January 14, 2021
Penalties
Sales Restrictions
For individuals, violations of sales restrictions are punishable by a fine of up to 20,000 penalty units or imprisonment of up to two years for a first offense. For a second or subsequent offense, violations are punishable by a fine of up to 50,000 penalty units or imprisonment of up to four years.
For corporate bodies, violations of sales restrictions are punishable by a fine of up to 500,000 penalty units. For a second or subsequent offense, violations are punishable by a fine of up to 1,000,000 penalty units.
Location-based Sales Restrictions
Tobacco sales are not restricted by location; therefore, there are no associated penalties.
Minimum Retail Package Size
(e.g., seizure of the product, publication of the violation/violator)
For individuals, violations of the minimum retail package size are punishable by a fine of up to 20,000 penalty units or imprisonment of up to two years for a first offense. For a second or subsequent offense, violations are punishable by a fine of up to 50,000 penalty units or imprisonment of up to four years.
For corporate bodies, violations of the minimum retail package size are punishable by a fine of up to 500,000 penalty units. For a second or subsequent offense, violations are punishable by a fine of up to 1,000,000 penalty units.
The law also authorizes confiscation, forfeiture, and destruction of packs smaller than 10 cigarettes. The violator may be required to pay the reasonable costs incurred by an authorized officer for confiscating and destroying the tobacco products.
Minimum Legal Sales Age
For individuals, violations of the ban on sales to persons below the age of 18 are punishable by a fine of up to 20,000 penalty units or imprisonment of up to two years for a first offense. For a second or subsequent offense, violations are punishable by a fine of up to 50,000 penalty units or imprisonment of up to four years.
For corporate bodies, violations of the ban on sales to persons below the age of 18 are punishable by a fine of up to 500,000 penalty units. For a second or subsequent offense, violations are punishable by a fine of up to 1,000,000 penalty units.
