1. The term package is defined as “any covering, wrapper, container or other enclosure that contains a tobacco product or cartons, containers or other enclosures that contain tobacco products”.
2. The law allows the sale of packs of 20 cigarettes only. Sale of single sticks or packs of 10 is banned.
3. In accordance with Article 11.1.(a), the tobacco legislation bans the use of “wording such as “mild”, “low tar”, “light” or any other term or sign that directly or indirectly creates the impression that a particular product is less harmful than others”.
4. In accordance with Article 11,1.(b), each pack of cigarette carries a health warning. A total of 8 health warnings has been introduced with the coming into force of the present legislation.
5. Rotating health warnings are not mandatory by law, as required by FCTC Article 11..b.(ii).
6. In accordance with Article 11,1.(b) (iii), the health warnings on tobacco products packaging should not be obscured in whole or in part.
7. In accordance with Article 11.1.(iv), the health warnings occupy 70% of the front principal display area and 60% of the rear principal display area of cigarette packs.
8. In line with FCTC Guidelines for Article 11, the pictorial health warnings are coloured and not in black and white.
9. In line with FCTC Guidelines for Article 11, the health warnings address different tobacco-related problems.
8. In line with FCTC Guidelines for Article 11, the sides of cigarette packs carry text warnings that occupy 65% of the surface area.
9. In line with FCTC Guidelines for Article 11, the health warnings are not concealed or damaged when opening the cigarette pack.
8. The legislation bans the display on cigarette packs the tar or nicotine content or the carbon monoxide yield
9. Tobacco packs do not carry qualitative/descriptive information on the constituents or emissions of tobacco.
10. In accordance with Article 11,1.(b) (v),the 8 health warnings are in pictorial forms accompanied by text messages.
11. Pictorial health warnings are mandatory only on cigarette packs. Packages of cigars and pipe tobacco carry text warnings as prescribed by law.
12. In accordance with Article 11.3, the health warnings are in English and French, the two principal languages of Mauritius.
13. The law provides the same penalty for all types of violations to the above clauses and to all categories of offenders.
Assessment of level of compliance:
Compliance to the packaging and labeling is almost 100%.
Recommended actions to improve compliance of national law to Article 8 of FCTC:
- Include rotating pictorial health warnings in the tobacco legislation.
- Include pictorial health warnings in packs of all tobacco products and not only on cigarette packs
- .Tobacco packs should carry qualitative/descriptive information on the constituents or emissions of tobacco when a new set of health warnings will be worked out.
- Introduce penalties on the basis of the gravity of the offence and the category of the offender.
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