Location and Size of Warnings / Messages on Unit Packaging
65% of Front, 65% of Back
Rotation
Required
Number of Warnings / Messages Authorized to Be Displayed on Front / Back at Any Given Time
4
Length of Rotation Period
Specified
- 24 months
Analysis
Under the Tobacco Control Act of 2015 (implementing regulations issued in 2019), pictorial health warnings are required to cover 65% of each principal display area of smoked tobacco product packaging. The picture portion of the warning shall occupy 80% of the space set aside for the warnings, with the text portion occupying the remaining 20%. Four warnings have been issued and are required to be rotated equally within each batch of a tobacco product brand over a 24-month period.
The law also requires a qualitative constituents and emissions message to appear on 100% of the top panel of the unit packaging smoked tobacco products. On a "package which contains several unit packages" (e.g., carton), the statement must appear on all sides. The statement must read: "Tobacco smoke contains over 70 substances known to cause cancer."
The law aligns with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines with respect to size, location, rotation, and content.
