The law requires combined text and pictorial warnings on the front and back sides of tobacco products for smoking, both of which must cover 65% of the surface area and be placed on the upper portion of the display area. The text of the combined warnings must appear in Albanian on the front and Serbian on the back.  The warnings are required to rotate with the warnings be printed on an equal number of unit packets, and the library of health warnings must be updated on a yearly basis.

In addition, a general warning must appear on 65% of one lateral side panel. An information message stating “Tobacco smoke contains over 70 substances known to cause cancer” must appear on 65% of the other lateral side panel.

The law meets FCTC Art. 11 and aligns with the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines with respect to size, location, content, and rotation of the health warnings.  
 

Smokeless tobacco products are required to carry the general health warning “This tobacco product damages your health and is addictive.” The text of the warning must cover 32% of the two largest surfaces of the unit pack and any outside packaging. Smokeless tobacco products do not appear to require graphic warnings or additional rotating health warnings.

The current law meets the minimum requirements of FCTC Art. 11 standards, requires that warnings occupy at least 30% of the two principal display areas of the package. However, to more fully align with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines, the law should require warnings for smokeless tobacco products to occupy at least 50% of each principal display area and, like tobacco products for smoking, also be composed of pictures and text, include a variety of messages to be displayed at any given time, and require that warnings rotate on a regular basis.