Analysis
Chewing tobacco and dipping tobacco (sweika) are prohibited.
On permitted forms of smokeless tobacco, the law requires that health warnings consist of text and images issued by the Ministry of Health, subject to the approved standards specifications. Under GSO 246/2011, the text and image must cover 50% of the main display area of both the front and back, with the text covering no more than 40% of the total warning.
The law requires the warnings to be rotated "as required by the public interest." Therefore, requirements around rotation are uncertain.
Individual packages must also contain the product name, trademark, the number of cigarettes, the production date, batch number, the country of origin, manufacture or packaging, the percentage of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide, and the statement “For sale in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.”
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines with regard to size (at least 50%) and content (text and pictures). However, to align more fully, the law should address rotation of the health warnings. Specifically, the law should state whether the four authorized health warnings are to be appear concurrently and in equal numbers, and should require that the health warnings be updated every 12 to 36 months. In addition, the contents of the warnings to appear on smokeless tobacco products should pertain to the health effects of smokeless tobacco.
