Cigarette packet warning signs are health warning messages that appear on the packaging of cigarettes and other tobacco products. They have been implemented in an effort to enhance the public's knowledge about the dangers of smoking. In general, warning used in different countries try to emphasize the same messages. Warnings for some countries are listed below. Such warnings have been commonplace in tobacco advertising for many years.

United States of America

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• Caution: Cigarette Smoking May be Hazardous to Your Health (1966)
• Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined that Cigarette Smoking is Dangerous to Your Health (1970)
• SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy.
• SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health.
• SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking By Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, And Low Birth Weight.
• SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.

Australia

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In early 2006 a new initiative was introduced, with graphic images depicting the effects of smoking cigarettes to be displayed on cigarette packets. As of March 1, warnings must cover 30% of the front and 90% of the back of the box. ^*

The Australian warnings had previously consisted of six rotating messages occupying 25% of the front of the box. These warnings were:

• smoking causes lung cancer
• smoking is addictive
• smoking kills
• smoking causes heart disease
• smoking when pregnant harms your baby
• your smoking can harm others

Additionally, 33% of the back of the box contained detailed information about the harm of smoking. The information related to the specific warning used on the front.

Furthermore, each box must display (occupying an entire side of the pack) information regarding the tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide content of each cigarette.

Canada

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The Canadian Tobacco Act requires warnings on all tobacco products sold in Canada. The current set of 15 warnings were introduced in 2000, replacing the older versions from 1994. A Health Canada warning is printed randomly on all tobacco product packaging, and is required to take up at least 50% of the visible surface. Imported cigarettes to be sold in Canada which do not have the warnings are affixed with sticker versions. Each warning is printed along with a short explanation and is accompanied by a picture illustrating that particular warning. e.g.:

WARNING
CIGARETTES CAUSE LUNG CANCER
85% of lung cancers are caused by smoking.
80% of lung cancer victims die within three years.

(Picture: Internal view of human lung detailing cancerous growths.)

Additionally, on the inside of the packaging or, for some packets, on a pull out card, "health information messages" consisting of answers and explanations regarding common questions and concerns about quitting smoking and smoking related illnesses are provided. On the packaging (usually on the narrow side of a packet) a table details the approximate amount of toxic substances found in that particular brand of cigarette. e.g.:

"Toxic emissions / unit:" "Tar" 11 - 26 mg, Nicotine 1.0 - 2.4 mg,
Carbon monoxide 14 - 28 mg, Formaldehyde 0.057 mg - 0.14 mg,
Hydrogen cyanide 0.10 - 0.22 mg, Benzene 0.028 - 0.067 mg

From Altria's (aka Philip Morris Inc.) Benson & Hedges brand Belmont Milds

Per Canadian law regarding products sold in Canada, the warnings are provided in both English and French.

Health Canada is also considering laws mandating plain packaging, in which tobbaco product packaging would black and white and labelled solely with simple unadorned text, as well as outlawing descriptive terms such as "Light" and "Mild" which they argue are deceptive to consumers and encourage them to falsely believe that these brands of cigarettes are less likely to cause illness or addiction.

Information on tobacco product labelling in Canada as well as a full list of the warnings and health information messages is available at Health Canada's website ^*.

European Union

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Cigarette packets and other tobacco packaging must include warnings in the same size and format and using the same approved texts (in the appropriate local languages) in all member states of the European Union.

These warnings are displayed in black Helvetica bold on a white background with a thick black border. Ireland prefaces its warnings with "Irish Government Warning", and Latvia with "Veselibas ministrija bridina". In member states with more than one official language the warnings are displayed in all languages, with the sizes adjusted accordingly (for example in Belgium the messages are written in Dutch, French and German and in Luxembourg in French and German). All cigarette packets sold in the European Union must display the content of nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide in the same manner on the side of the packet.

United Kingdom and Ireland

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One of the following general warnings must be displayed, covering at least 30% of the surface of the pack:

• Smoking kills / Smoking can kill
• Smoking seriously harms you and others around you

Additionally, one of the following additional warnings must be displayed, covering at least 40% of the surface of the pack:

• Smokers die younger
• Smoking clogs the arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes
• Smoking causes fatal lung cancer
• Smoking when pregnant harms your baby
• Protect children: don't make them breathe your smoke
• Your doctor or your pharmacist can help you stop smoking
• Smoking is highly addictive, don't start
• Stopping smoking reduces the risk of fatal heart and lung diseases
• Smoking can cause a slow and painful death
• Get help to stop smoking: telephone/postal address/internet address/consult your doctor/pharmacist
• Smoking may reduce the blood flow and cause impotence
• Smoking causes ageing of the skin
• Smoking can damage the sperm and decreases fertility
• Smoke contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.

Austria and Germany

General warnings:

• Rauchen ist tödlich. / Rauchen kann tödlich sein.
• Rauchen fügt Ihnen und den Menschen in Ihrer Umgebung erheblichen Schaden zu.

Additional warnings:

• Raucher sterben früher.
• Rauchen führt zur Verstopfung der Arterien und verursacht Herzinfarkte und Schlaganfälle.
• Rauchen verursacht tödlichen Lungenkrebs.
• Rauchen in der Schwangerschaft schadet Ihrem Kind.
• Schützen Sie Kinder - lassen Sie sie nicht Ihren Tabakrauch einatmen!
• Ihr Arzt oder Apotheker kann Ihnen dabei helfen, das Rauchen aufzugeben.
• Rauchen macht sehr schnell abhängig: Fangen Sie gar nicht erst an!
• Wer das Rauchen aufgibt, verringert das Risiko tödlicher Herz- und Lungenerkrankungen.
• Rauchen kann zu einem langsamen und schmerzhaften Tod führen.
• Rauchen kann zu Durchblutungsstörungen führen und verursacht Impotenz.
• Rauchen lässt Ihre Haut altern.
• Rauchen kann die Spermatozoen schädigen und schränkt die Fruchtbarkeit ein.
• Rauch enthält Benzol, Nitrosamine, Formaldehyd und Blausäure.

France

Front of packaging (covers 30% of surface)

{|border="0" cellspacing="8" cellpadding="0" (Smoking kills) (Smoking severely harms your health
and the health of those around you)

Rear of packaging (covers 40% of surface, similar design)

• Les fumeurs meurent prématurément.
• Fumer bouche les artères et provoque des crises cardiaques et des attaques cérébrales.
• Fumer provoque le cancer mortel du poumon.
• Fumer pendant la grossesse nuit à la santé de votre enfant.
• Protégez les enfants : ne leur faites pas respirer votre fumée.
• Votre médecin ou votre pharmacien peuvent vous aider à arrêter de fumer.
• Fumer crée une forte dépendance, ne commencez pas.
• Arrêter de fumer réduit les risques de maladies cardiaques et pulmonaires mortelles.
• Fumer peut entraîner une mort lente et douloureuse.
• Faites-vous aider pour arrêter de fumer : téléphonez au 0 825 309 310 (0,15 euro/min)
• Fumer peut diminuer l'afflux sanguin et provoque l'impuissance.
• Fumer provoque un vieillissement de la peau.
• Fumer peut nuire aux spermatozoïdes et réduit la fertilité.
• La fumée contient du benzène, des nitrosamines, du formaldéhyde et du cyanure d'hydrogène.

Left or right side of packaging

• Components percentages (15 % of surface, small prints): Tobacco - Cigarette paper - Flavor and texture agents
• Quantity of toxics in mg/cigarette (in prominent blackonwhites square and bold letters): Tar - Nicotin - Carbon monoxide

Other side of packaging

• Country of manufacturing, name of manufacturer, quantity
• Product identifier (EAN-7 bar code)

Other characteristics

• Small print: "Vente en France 01" (sales in France)
• Recyclable logo (for the packaging)
• Words forbidden in the displayed product name: light, ultra-light, légere, or any indication that may indicate that this is a minor drug with low impact... (These branding words have been replaced by various color names)

Italy

• Il fumo uccide / Il fumo puo` uccidere.
• Il fumo danneggia gravemente te e chi ti sta intorno.

• I fumatori muoiono prima.
• Il fumo ostruisce le arterie e provoca infarti e ictus.
• Il fumo provoca cancro mortale ai polmoni.
• Fumare in gravidanza fa male al bambino.
• Proteggi i bambini, non fumare in loro presenza.
• Specialisti del settore medico possono aiutarti a smettere di fumare.
• Il fumo crea un'elevata dipendenza, non iniziare.
• Smettere di fumare riduce il rischio di malattie cardiovascolari e polmonari mortali.
• Il fumo può provocare una morte lenta e dolorosa.
• Il fumo provoca il cancro della cavita` boccale.
• Fatti aiutare a smettere di fumare: 0848 000 181/www.fumarefamale.ch.
• Il fumo puo` ridurre la circolazione sanguigna e causa impotenza.
• Il fumo invecchia la pelle.
• Il fumo puo` danneggiare lo sperma e diminuisce la fertilita`.
• Il fumo contiene benzene, nitrosammine, formaldeide e acido cianidrico.

Other text is sometimes placed in the packets, for example some packets contain leaflets which have written on them all the above warnings, with more detailed explanations and reasons to give up, with advice from Philip Morris.

Latvia

• Smēķēšana nopietni apdraud Jūs un cilvēkus Jums blakus
• Smēķēšana nogalina

• Smēķēšana izraisa neārstējamu plaušu vēzi
• Atmest smēķēšanu Jums var palīdzet Jūsu ġimenes ārsts un farmaceits
• Smēķētaji mirst jauni
• Sargiet bērnus: nelieciet viņiem elpot tabakas dūmus!
• Smēķēšana grūtniecības laikā kaitē Jūsu bērnam
• Smēķēšana izraisa artēriju nosprostošanos un rada sirdslēkmes un insultu

Russian Federation

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All warnings are presented first in the original Russian, followed by the English translation.

Main:

• «Минздрав России предупреждает: курение вредит Вашему здоровью» (The Russian Ministry of Public Health warns: smoking is harmful to your health.)

Additional:

• «Курение — причина раковых заболеваний» (Smoking causes cancer.)
• «Курение — причина смертельных заболеваний» (Smoking causes fatal diseases.)
• «Оградите детей от табачного дыма» (Keep children away from tobacco smoke.)
• «Курение табака вызывает никотиновую зависимость» (Smoking tobacco causes nicotine dependence.)
• «Курение — причина заболеваний сердца» (Smoking causes heart diseases.)

Spoof cigarette warnings

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In response to the various countries' directives on cigaratte warnings, some smokers have begun to deface the messages, either by hand or through the use of spoof stickers. Typical stickers include the following messages:

• You could get hit by a bus tomorrow
• Smoking is cool
• Smoking makes you look big and clever
• Smoking makes you look sexy
• Live fast, die young
• You will get fat if you stop smoking
• Social smoking doesn't count
• Those who stop smoking shall die healthy.
• These baboon lungs are doing just fine, thank you.
• Try smoking after sex
• Please dont tell my mum
• No-one likes a quitter

External links

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• BBC News Online: "Spoof cigarette warnings slammed"
• Directive 2001/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2001

Tobacco control | Packaging

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