Tobacco MPOWER Warning

The indicators are based on article 11 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and its guidelines for implementation, which require effective health warnings and messages on tobacco product packaging to increase public awareness on the health effects of tobacco use, and which recommend other tobacco product packaging and labelling measures.

The three types of tobacco assessed are

• cigarettes,
• other smoked tobacco (all smoked tobacco products excluding cigarettes),
• and smokeless tobacco (all tobacco products except those intended to be smoked).

Health warnings on tobacco product packaging

• Law mandates that health warnings appear on tobacco packages (Yes/No): A nationwide law mandating health warning labels for tobacco packages had been adopted in the country. The types of tobacco covered and not covered by the law are assessed and reported separately. The three types of tobacco assessed are cigarettes, other smoked tobacco and smokeless tobacco.
• Percentage of principal display area mandated to be covered by health warnings, front and back of pack: The average of the % of the principal display areas on the front and the back of an individual package of a tobacco product covered by health warnings. The narrow sides, top or bottom of a pack are not considered part of the principal display area.
• Percentage of principal display area mandated to be covered by health warnings, front of pack: The % of the principal display area on the front of an individual package of a tobacco product covered by health warnings. The narrow sides, top or bottom of a pack are not considered part of the principal display area.
• Percentage of principal display area mandated to be covered by health warnings, back of pack: The % of the principal display area on the back of an individual package of a tobacco product covered by health warnings. The narrow sides, top or bottom of a pack are not considered part of the principal display area.
• Health warnings on packaging must be placed at the top of the principal display areas of the package (Yes/No): The health warnings are required to be placed at the top of the principal display areas of the tobacco packet to ensure maximum visibility.
• Font style, font size and color of health warnings are mandated for tobacco packaging (Yes/No): The law requires the text to be easily visible, and specifies text, fonts and colors for this purpose.
• Health warnings on packaging must be rotated (Yes/No):  Rotation can be implemented by having multiple health warnings and messages appearing concurrently or by setting a date after which the health warning and message content will change. The law can require that health warnings remain on a fixed cycle of substitution (i.e., the warnings are alternated for another health warning on a regular basis). For example, the law may require that a warning be changed for another every two years.
• Health warnings on packaging must be written in the principal language(s) of the country (Yes/No): The law requires that the health warnings be written in the principal language(s) of the country. If the law is silent on language and the tobacco company is free to select the language, this indicator is reported as "No".
• Health warnings on packaging must not be obscured in any way including by required markings such as tax stamps (Yes/No): The health warnings are not obstructed by other required packaging and labelling markings or by commercial inserts* and onserts**. For example, when establishing the size and position of other markings, such as tax stamps, that such markings do not obstruct any part of the health warnings or messages. * “insert” means any communication inside an individual package and/or carton purchased at retail by consumers, such as a miniature leaflet or brochure. ** "onsert” means any communication affixed to the outside of an individual package and/or carton purchased at retail by consumers, such as a miniature brochure beneath the outer cellophane wrapping or glued to the outside of the package.
• Health warnings on packaging must include a photograph or graphic (Yes/No): Health warnings are required to have any kind of photographic or other graphic image (other than text). If no images are available in the law/regulation, this indicator is reported as "No".
• Health warnings appear on each package and any outside packaging used in the retail sale (Yes/No): The law requires health warnings to appear on the outside packaging as well as the individual unit packs. The outside package is the outermost layer of the item for sale. Outside packaging may contain multiple products (e.g. carton) or only one (eg. specialty case).

Health warnings on packaging, other characteristics

• Health warnings on packaging law applies to products whether manufactured domestically imported AND for duty-free sale (Yes/No): The health warning requirements apply equally to all tobacco products sold within the jurisdiction, whether manufactured domestically, imported, or intended for duty-free sale within the country. Where the law does not suggest or state that the health warnings apply to all products regardless of whether manufactured domestically, imported, or intended for duty-free sale, this indicator will be reported as "No."
• Health warnings on packaging do not remove or diminish the liability of the tobacco industry (Yes/No): The law explicitly indicates that the requirements to carry health warnings and messages on tobacco product packaging, or to convey any other information about the product, does not remove or diminish any obligation of the tobacco industry, including, but not limited to, obligations to warn consumers about the health hazards arising from tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.
• Health warnings on packaging describe the harmful effects of tobacco use on health (Yes/No): The law requires that the health warnings describe, in words , the harmful effects of tobacco use on health. Where a health warning states something like “Smoking is harmful”, this indicator will be reported as “No”.
• Specific health warnings are mandated for tobacco packaging (Yes/No): Where the law or regulations give a list of the warnings required, this is answered “Yes”, however where the warnings are not yet approved/available/published as the regulations are pending, this is answered “No”.
• Number of health warnings approved by law for tobacco packaging: Where one or more specific health warnings are approved by the government, the number of specific warnings approved. The health warning may be in the form of text and/or images.
• Health warnings on packaging law requires fines for violations (Yes/No): The law requires fines for any non-compliance or violations regarding the health warning requirements on tobacco products. For example, the law specifies a range of fines or other penalties commensurate with the severity or frequency of the violation.
• Deceitful terms on tobacco packaging are banned (Yes/No): The law prohibits the use of terms in packaging or labelling that are likely to create an erroneous impression that a tobacco product is less harmful than other tobacco products or creates a false impression about the tobacco product's characteristics, hazards, health effects, or emissions. For example, the law may ban the use of misleading or deceptive terms including “low tar”, “light” and “mild”.
• Packaging and labelling must not use figurative or other signs including colors or numbers as substitutes for prohibited misleading terms and descriptors (Yes/No): The law bans the use of figurative or other signs (colors, numbers, symbols, etc.) on tobacco packages that directly or indirectly create the false impression that a particular product is less harmful than others. The law bans the use of such signs being used in place of misleading descriptive terms, for example, the use of green or light blue to imply a "light" tobacco product in contrast to a black or red-labelled "original" product.
•  Packaging and labelling must not use descriptors depicting flavors (Yes/No): The law prohibits the use of descriptors depicting flavors on tobacco packaging and labelling. Descriptors for flavors, such as mint, chocolate or strawberry, are used to create a false impression that a particular tobacco product is less harmful than other tobacco products.
• Packaging and labelling must not display quantitative information on emission yields including as part of a brand name or trademark (Yes/No):  The law prohibits quantitative information on emission yields on tobacco packs, whether as an independent part of the packaging, or as part of a brand or trademark. Any statement about the amount of certain ingredients, even if not expressed as a number, should be considered quantitative information, such as "this product contains reduced levels of nitrosamines", since this may be used to mislead or imply one tobacco product is less harmful than another. For example, tar, nicotine and other smoke emission yields derived from smoking-machine testing do not provide valid estimates of human exposure, but may be used to imply that cigarettes with lower machine-generated smoke yields are less harmful than cigarettes with higher smoke emission yields.
• Packaging and labelling must display qualitative information on emission yields (Yes/No): The law requires qualitative information on relevant constituents or emission  and their effects to be placed on the package, for example, "this product contains ammonia" or “smoking exposes you to more than 60 cancer-causing chemicals.”  If the law is silent on the display of qualitative information on constituents and emissions, this indicator reports "No".
• Qualitative information on emission yields must be displayed on one or more principal display areas of tobacco packaging (Yes/No): The law requires that qualitative information on relevant constituents or emission yields and their effects to be placed on one or more of the principal display areas of the package. If the law does not require display of qualitative information on constituents and emissions on packages, this indicator reports "Not applicable".
• Display of expiry dates is prevented on tobacco packaging (Yes/No): The law bans the display of product expiry dates on tobacco packages.Displaying an expiry date may mislead consumers into thinking the product is safe to be consumed at any time before the expiry date.
• The quit line number must appear on tobacco packaging (Yes/No):  The law requires a quit line number to appear on tobacco packaging. For example, a toll-free telephone “quit line” number for access to advice on tobacco cessation and related cessation services.
• Plain packaging of tobacco is mandatory (Yes/No) : The law requires plain packaging and implementing rules or regulations are adopted (ie. the use of logos colors brand images or promotional information on packaging other than brand names and product names displayed in a standard color and font style is prohibited).

WHO assessment of original and translated legislation and regulation documents.

commara@who.int

Alison Commar

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