The Regulation Amending the Regulation on Methods and Procedures for Manufacturing, Labelling and Control of Tobacco Products (“Amendment Regulation”) published in Official Gazette numbered 31527 on 30 June 2021, and effective as of that date, aims to increase efficacy and efficiency of health warnings on the smoking tobacco products.
The Amendment Regulation provides, in relevant part, as follows:
- The quitting information field which consists of “171 Smoking Quitting Hotline” expression and borderline of the combined health warnings on cigarette unit packs, rectangular prism or similarly shaped packs containing non-cigarette smoking tobacco products with a height of fewer than 20 millimeters on the side surfaces, and in the bag packs can be partially covered with a banderol, provided that the quitting information text is visible.
- The area to be covered by the health warnings on the back surface of the unit package and group of smoking tobacco products has been increased from 85% to 100%.
- It has been regulated that the combined health warnings will be placed on the rear surface of the top-opening hard unit capped package, on the front and rear surface of the soft unit package, top-opening hard unit package, and vertical bag packages in cases where the combined health warning quitting information area is partially covered with a banderol. Quitting information will be placed at the top, the photograph in the middle, and the warning text at the bottom.
- The photograph will cover 60% and the warning text will cover 40% of the combined health warning surface area inside the black borderline remaining from the quitting information on the rear surface of the top-opening hard unit capped package and the front and rear surfaces of the top-opening hard unit package and soft unit packages. For vertical bags, 50% of the combined health warning surface area inside the black borderline will be covered by the photograph and 40% by the warning text. 60% of the combined health warning surface area inside the black borderline remaining from the quitting information will be covered by the photograph and 40% by the warning text in case the photograph, warning text and quitting information are written on top of each other.
- For flat and foldable bag packages, the combined health warning height will be equal to the unit package height in case the photograph, warning text and quitting information are written side by side.
- Quantity information will be written on the bottom surface of cigarette unit packs, and on the rear surface of smoking tobacco product unit packs and groups other than cigarettes.
- The warning that will be written as “The penalty for selling to those under the age of 18 is imprisonment” will be applied vertically and horizontally centered in the smoking tobacco products group.
In accordance with this regulation, the producers may submit their application to be updated for compliance with this Regulation in six months. Market availability certificates that are not applied for update permission within this period are deemed to have been cancelled.
Please see this link for the full text of the Amendment Regulation (Only available in Turkish).
