According to Ministry of Health, the government has passed a resolution that abolishes the current regulations on labeling cigarette packs and tobacco products in order to fully implement the new regulations, which come into effect on January 11, 2024.
The regulation allows to complete the process of implementation of the European Commission’s Directive 40/2014, according to which the labeling of packs is updated. It is about placing updated graphic and text images of health warnings on cigarette packages. Such warnings are in place in 42 countries around the world and have been shown to be effective in the fight against smoking.
In May 2023, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine approved 14 sets (by link – variants of text and photo) of medical warnings developed by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, as well as technical requirements for the design and form of labeling and the procedure for application of warnings by manufacturers of tobacco products. The new labeling comes into force on January 11, 2024.
The adoption of the comprehensive anti-tobacco Law No. 1978 in December 2021 is in line with Ukraine’s European integration policy in the health sector. The law entered into force on July 11, 2023.
Its regulations are based on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and implement the provisions of Directive 2014/40/EC, the implementation of which has reduced the prevalence of smoking in the European Union.
The main provisions of Directive No. 2014/40/EC implemented by this Act:
- Prohibition of flavored cigarettes and self-labeled tobacco (effective July 11, 2023).
- Smoking warnings on cigarette packs are more prominent – their size will increase to 65% of the pack area (from 2024).
- Requirement to provide information to the State Consumer Service on ingredients contained in tobacco products (effective June 1, 2022).
- Introducing consumer health warnings on e-cigarettes and e-liquids, packaging requirements for e-cigarettes, refill containers and liquids used in e-cigarettes, consumer health warnings and packaging requirements for herbal smoking products, and consumer health warnings (effective June 1, 2022).
- Complete ban on advertising and promotion of tobacco use devices, e-cigarettes, and tobacco products (effective July 11, 2023).
Mock-ups of what medical warnings will look like on cigarette packs starting January 11, 2024 are available at link.
