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Tag: graphic warnings

  • Canada Rolling Out New Graphic Warning Campaign

    Canada Rolling Out New Graphic Warning Campaign

    Canada will introduce 13 new graphic health warnings on cigarette packages beginning Aug. 1 as part of its effort to reduce tobacco use below 5% by 2035. The warnings, covering smoking-related cancers, second-hand smoke, and other health risks, will appear on cigarettes, little cigars, and cigarette tobacco for two years, with additional warnings required on individual cigarettes.

    Health Canada said smoking rates have declined to an estimated 13% in 2024 from 29% in 2001. The government said it is reviewing international tobacco control measures, including the UK’s generational smoking ban, but has no plans to adopt a similar policy.

  • UK Opens Consultation for Potential Vape Restrictions  

    UK Opens Consultation for Potential Vape Restrictions  

    Today (July 10), the UK Department of Health and Social Care announced the launch of a 12-week consultation on sweeping new restrictions covering the packaging, appearance, and retail display of vaping, tobacco, and nicotine products under powers granted by the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026. Running through Oct. 2, the consultation proposes requiring vapes to be sold in standardized white packaging with limited branding; restricting devices to black, white, or gray; banning cosmetic lighting and non-essential digital screens; and limiting flavor names to simple descriptors such as “berry” or “mint.” The proposals would also prohibit the public display of vapes at retail, requiring them to be kept out of sight, while extending standardized packaging rules to all tobacco products, including cigars, pipe tobacco, rolling papers, and heated tobacco kits. Tobacco packs would also be required to include government-specified quit-line inserts, and duty-free stores and airports would lose exemptions allowing tobacco displays.

    If adopted, the measures would require manufacturers and retailers to redesign packaging, update product portfolios, and modify store layouts, while further reducing opportunities for brand differentiation. The government said the proposals are intended to curb youth vaping while preserving access for adults using vaping products to quit smoking. Health Secretary James Murray said the consultation aims to make vaping “less attractive for children and young people,” citing concerns over colorful packaging and youth-oriented product names. According to Action on Smoking and Health, 19% of 11- to 17-year-olds in Britain have tried vaping.

    Observers who advocate for harm-reduction methods, however, were critical of the announcement.  

    “Most people wrongly believe that vaping is at least as dangerous as smoking,” said Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs. “This ignorance has led to vapers switching back to cigarettes and to smokers not switching to vapes. The government should be hammering home the message that vaping is a much safer alternative. Instead, it is sending the message that vapes are as bad as cigarettes by treating the two products the same. The forthcoming vape tax combined with a display ban and plain packaging will keep people smoking.”

    “A one-size-fits-all approach that treats reduced-risk, smoke-free products in the same way as cigarettes risks making it harder for adult smokers to identify and switch to better alternatives,” said Dr. Marina Murphy, Head of External Affairs UK and Scientific Affairs at Haypp Group. “The most effective way to prevent youth access is through robust age-verification, enforcement of existing laws, and action against illicit sales. Packaging should support informed adult choice without undermining these measures or reducing the ability of smokers to identify less harmful alternatives.”

  • Argentina Updates Tobacco, Nicotine Health Warnings

    Argentina Updates Tobacco, Nicotine Health Warnings

    Argentina’s Ministry of Health approved new graphic health warning requirements for cigarettes, combustible tobacco products, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, nicotine sticks, and nicotine pouches under Resolution 796/2026. The updated rules replace previous warning regulations and introduce a single mandatory warning for non-combustible nicotine products stating, “This product contains nicotine that is highly addictive.” The measure also updates packaging, advertising, point-of-sale signage, and smoke-free area requirements, while requiring cessation information and Ministry of Health contact details on product packaging.

    The resolution gives manufacturers and importers 180 days to comply with the new requirements and aligns implementation with Argentina’s existing nicotine product regulations. The ministry emphasized that the measure updates health warnings and labeling requirements but does not constitute a general authorization to market nicotine products.

  • PM Urges Court to Uphold FDA Graphic Rule Ruling  

    PM Urges Court to Uphold FDA Graphic Rule Ruling  

    Philip Morris USA asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to affirm a lower court decision vacating a U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule that would have required graphic health warnings on cigarette packaging. The company argued that the district court correctly found the FDA failed to follow required administrative procedures when developing the rule. According to Law 360, the appeal centers on whether the agency’s rulemaking process complied with federal standards, after the district court struck down the regulation on procedural grounds.

  • Indonesia Looking to Tighten Tobacco Control

    Indonesia Looking to Tighten Tobacco Control

    Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin outlined plans to strengthen national tobacco control through legislative reform, citing proposed revisions to expand graphic health warnings, tighten advertising restrictions, ban the sale of loose cigarettes, and regulate e-cigarettes. Speaking virtually at the 8th Asia-Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT) Summit in Jakarta today (January 26), Sadikin said the measures are aimed at reducing both tobacco supply and demand through coordinated partnerships.

    Sadikin said that tobacco is Indonesia’s third-largest risk factor for death, with around 70 million adult smokers and 9.1% of children having tried smoking. The government also plans to expand smoke-free areas and increase access to smoking cessation services at community health centers, while health officials emphasized cross-sector and community-based efforts to address tobacco use and related non-communicable diseases.

  • Canadian Study Says Graphic Labels Growing

    Canadian Study Says Graphic Labels Growing

    The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) released its latest Cigarette Package Health Warnings: International Status Report, highlighting global efforts on plain packaging and graphic picture warnings. The report ranks 212 countries and territories on warning size and notes that 140 now require graphic picture warnings, covering 66% of the world’s population. Canada and Australia have gone further, mandating health warnings printed directly on individual cigarettes, first introduced in 2024 and 2025 respectively.

    Plain packaging has been adopted in 27 countries and territories, up from just nine in 2018. CCS policy analyst Rob Cunningham said plain packaging is vital to reduce tobacco’s allure, particularly among youth.

    Graphic picture warnings also continue to expand. Since Canada first introduced them in 2001, 130 countries now require warnings covering at least 50% of the pack, with 77 mandating coverage of 65% or more and 11 requiring at least 85%. East Timor, Turkey, The Gambia, Maldives, Nepal, and Vanuatu lead the way with at least 90% graphic warning coverage, while the United States ties for last, ranked 175th.

  • Georgia Judge Vacates FDA Graphic Cigarette Warning Rule

    Georgia Judge Vacates FDA Graphic Cigarette Warning Rule

    A federal judge in South Georgia struck down the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) rule requiring graphic health warnings on cigarette packs and ads, siding with Philip Morris USA and Georgia retailers, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. U.S. District Judge Lisa Wood ruled that the FDA failed to disclose all raw data used in developing the 2020 rule, preventing stakeholders from offering meaningful feedback. While Wood rejected most of the plaintiffs’ arguments, she vacated the rule, citing a violation of the Administrative Procedures Act.

    The Georgia plaintiffs, including the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores, argued the rule would cost millions, force retailers to “speak against their own products,” and deter customers by making convenience stores unwelcoming. It said the FDA arbitrarily focused on certain smoking-related risks over others without explanation, and claimed it ignored countless red flags in its studies. The FDA defended its process, noting the warnings aimed to better inform consumers of smoking risks.

    The decision marks another setback in the FDA’s long-running effort to implement graphic warnings under the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. A similar case is pending in Texas, where a judge has already blocked enforcement until appeals are resolved.

    The case is likely to head to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

  • FDA Halts Packaging Enforcement for 15 Months

    FDA Halts Packaging Enforcement for 15 Months

    Credit: Bilitster

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has provided guidance on the “Tobacco Products; Required Warnings for Cigarette Packages and Advertisements” final rule that established new required health warnings for cigarette packages and advertisements.

    Specifically, the FDA has issued guidance to the tobacco industry that describes the agency’s enforcement policy for the final rule. The final rule was issued in March 2020 and was challenged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. In December 2022, the District Court struck down the rule.

    The government appealed the decision and in May of 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit reversed the District Court’s decision. This reinstated the final rule, causing the rule to now be in effect. The plaintiffs’ petition for a review by the Supreme Court review is pending.

    “The new guidance for the agency’s enforcement policy states that the FDA intends to exercise enforcement discretion and generally not enforce requirements of the final rule for 15 months, or until December 12, 2025,” an FDA release states. “With respect to products manufactured before December 12, 2025, the FDA also intends to exercise enforcement discretion and generally not enforce the rule’s requirements for these products for an additional 30-day period, or until January 12, 2026.”

    The pause aligns with the 15-month compliance period originally contemplated by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

    The FDA chose 15 months to provide an orderly transition period; this aligns with the 15-month compliance period originally contemplated by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, before that timing was disrupted by litigation.

    The final rule also requires the industry to submit a plan and obtain FDA approval for the random and equal display and distribution of required warnings on cigarette packages and the quarterly rotation of required warnings in cigarette advertisements.

    The agency’s guidance recommends that entities that do not already have approved cigarette health warning plans submit such plans as soon as possible, but in any event, within five months or by February 10, 2025. Entities that previously submitted cigarette plans to the FDA do not need to resubmit their plans unless they wish to make changes.

    The public can provide comment on the guidance in the docket at regulations.gov.