Tobacco manufacturers, importers and wholesalers

Advertising and promotion of Tobacco Products Regulation, 2010 L.N. 344 of 2010

GRTU has received information that the Regulation mentioned above had been published in the Government Gazette on 2nd July 2010 as Legal Notice 344 of 2010. You may wish to particularly note the following:

• Regulation 3 on advertising of tobacco products sets a deadline of 1st January, 2011 for existing adverts displayed at close proximity to the point of sale of tobacco products and which are not visible from the outside of the retail outlet
• Regulation 5 on the sale of tobacco from automatic vending machine stipulates that no person may sell or permit to be sold any other product except cigarettes and tobacco products from automatic sales machines which are used to dispense cigarettes and tobacco products.

The use of colour photographs and other illustrations as Health Warnings on Tobacco Packages Regulations, 2009-Legal Notice 302 of 2009

Please note the following clarification:

1. All cigarette packages as defined both under LN 202 of 2004 (Labelling of Tobacco Products Regulations), and LN 302 of 2009 (The use of Colour  photographs and other illustrations as Health Warnings on Tobacco Packages Regulations), which are placed on the market on and after 27th April, 2011 should include the combined warning while for other products the date of entry into force is the 27th October 2011.

2. Primarily you may wish to note that in terms of Regulation 4(2) of LN 302 of 2009, the pictorials that should be used for products found on the local market are only those listed in schedule II of these regulations and these are to be combined with the additional health warnings as per schedule in Regulation 4(3) of LN 202 of 2004 in the format indicated in schedule I of LN 302 of 2009 and size as per Regulation 4 of the same LN.

3. You are also being reminded that the combined warnings which as already indicated are to be obtained only from schedule II shall be rotated at least once a year and it is therefore in your interest to keep documentation to this effect.

4. You are also required to ensure that the health warnings in terms of regulation 4 in the size and format indicated in Regulation 5 & 6 respectively of LN 202/2004 are to be included on the other most visible surface of the cigarette/tobacco packages.

5. Furthermore please be informed that we were notified about change in the telephone number that is to be used in the health warnings as per schedule in LN 202 of 2004. Please note that the new telephone number is to read 80073333. For this reason you are to ensure that packages of cigarettes and other tobacco products which are placed on the market on the dates as indicated above are to include this number where necessary.