Last updated: February 26, 2024
Regulated Contents in Cigarettes
Are contents and/or ingredients of cigarettes regulated?
Ministry of Health
The law prohibits the sale, offer for sale, import, manufacture, or distribution of tobacco products, including cigarettes that have a characterizing flavor.
Are cigarette emissions regulated?
Ministry of Health
The law establishes maximum emissions levels per cigarette as follows: a maximum of 10 milligrams of tar; a maximum of 1 milligram of nicotine; and a maximum of 10 milligrams of carbon monoxide.
Sugars and sweeteners (other than those added to replace sugars lost during the curing process)
Examples of sugars and sweeteners include: glucose, molasses, honey and sorbitol.
The law prohibits the manufacture, import, distribution at wholesale, and sale of tobacco products, including cigarettes, that have a “characterising flavour” which is defined as a clearly noticeable taste or smell other than one of tobacco, resulting from an additive or a combination of additives which is noticeable before or during the consumption of the tobacco product. Therefore, the use of sugars and sweeteners that result in a characterizing flavor are prohibited and the regulatory status code "Banned" is given.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it regulates ingredients used to increase palatability such as sugars and sweeteners in cigarettes.
Menthol, mint or spearmint (including analogues and derivatives)
The law prohibits the manufacture, import, distribution at wholesale, and sale of tobacco products, including cigarettes, that have a “characterising flavour” which is defined as a clearly noticeable taste or smell other than one of tobacco, resulting from an additive or a combination of additives which is noticeable before or during the consumption of the tobacco product, including menthol. Therefore, the use of menthol, mint, and spearmint in cigarettes is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it regulates ingredients used to increase palatability such as menthol, mint, or spearmint in cigarettes.
Spices and herbs (excluding mint)
Examples include: cinnamon and ginger.
The law prohibits the manufacture, import, distribution at wholesale, and sale of tobacco products, including cigarettes, that have a “characterising flavour” which is defined as a clearly noticeable taste or smell other than one of tobacco, resulting from an additive or a combination of additives which is noticeable before or during the consumption of the tobacco product, including spices and herbs. Therefore, the use of spices and herbs (excluding mint) in cigarettes is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it regulates ingredients used to increase palatability such as spices and herbs (excluding mint) in cigarettes.
Other flavorings (not covered above)
Includes fruit flavorings. Examples of flavoring substances include benzaldehyde, maltol and vanillin.
The law prohibits the manufacture, import, distribution at wholesale, and sale of tobacco products, including cigarettes, that have a “characterising flavour” which is defined as a clearly noticeable taste or smell other than one of tobacco, resulting from an additive or a combination of additives which is noticeable before or during the consumption of the tobacco product, including fruit, alcohol, candy, and vanilla. Therefore, the use of other flavorings (not covered above) in cigarettes is banned.
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines in that it regulates ingredients used to increase palatability such as other flavorings (not covered above) in cigarettes.
Ingredients that facilitate nicotine uptake
Examples include: ammonia.
The law does not regulate ingredients that facilitate nicotine uptake. Therefore, the use of ingredients in cigarettes that facilitate nicotine uptake is allowed.
To further FCTC Arts. 5.2 and 9, the law should regulate ingredients that facilitate nicotine uptake, such as ammonia.
Ingredients which may create an impression of health benefits
Examples include: vitamins, such as vitamin C and vitamin E, fruit and vegetables (and products resulting from their processing such as fruit juices), amino acids, such as cysteine and tryptophan, and essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6.
The law does not regulate ingredients that may create the impression of health benefits. Therefore, the use of ingredients in cigarettes that may create an impression of health benefits is allowed.
To align with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines, the law should prohibit the use of ingredients that may create an impression of health benefits in cigarettes.
Ingredients associated with energy and vitality
Examples include: caffeine, guarana, taurine and glucuronolactone.
The law does not regulate ingredients associated with energy and vitality. Therefore, the use of ingredients in cigarettes that are associated with energy and vitality is allowed.
To align with FCTC Art. 9 and the FCTC Arts. 9 & 10 Partial Guidelines, the law should prohibit the use of ingredients in cigarettes that are associated with energy and vitality.
