The Ministry of Health and Wellness published the new Public Health (Restriction on Tobacco Products) Regulations 2022, following the Cabinet decision taken on Friday the 20th of May 2022.
The new Regulations provide for the introduction of plain packaging for tobacco products as well as new requirements in terms of labelling, package design, size and health warnings.
With these new regulations, Mauritius will have the world’s largest cigarette package health warnings at 95% (on average) of the package front and back. The warnings will appear on 90% of the front and 100% of the back.These new regulations will come into effect in Mauritius Dec. 31, 2022, at the manufacturer/importer level, and March 1, 2023 at the retail level.
Currently, the cigarette largest health warnings in the world are Timor-Leste and Turkey at 92.5% (on average) of the package front and back, with 85% on the front and 100% on the back. The next largest at 90% of the front and back are Maldives, Nepal, Vanuatu along with (in 2022) Benin.
Click here to read the Public Health (Restriction on Tobacco Products) Regulations 2022.