New tobacco graphic health warnings

The key features of the Standard includes an increase in the size of graphic health warnings to cover at least 75 per cent of the front surface of most tobacco product packaging to convey a consistent public health message on the most visible surface of the package. The Standard maintains the size of 90 per cent of the back surface for cigarette packaging but requires an increase to 75 per cent of the back surface of most other tobacco products.

The policy underpinning the Standard has been informed by consumer research on graphic health warnings and plain packaging. This builds on the 2008 evaluation of the effectiveness of Australia’s graphic health warnings and a significant body of peer-reviewed research showing that larger health warnings, including graphic health warnings, have greater impact on consumers.
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Prior to finalising the Standard, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission undertook three public consultations between September 2011 and December 2011.

The Tobacco Labelling (Graphic Health Warnings) Consultation Paper outlined the proposal for a new Tobacco Labelling Standard for graphic health warnings on tobacco products under the Australian Consumer Law and closed on 17 October 2011.

The second round: tobacco graphic health warnings consultation paper was released for public comment on 26 October 2011 and closed on 8 November 2011. The second round consultation paper consisted of the draft Competition and Consumer (Tobacco) Information Standard 2011.

A revised draft Information Standard was released for public consultation on 14 November 2011 and closed on 5 December 2011.

Cigarette health warnings

Cigar health warnings

Examples of tobacco product packaging

An example of a cigarette pack incorporating a new graphic health warning is:

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An example of the front of a loose leaf tobacco pouch incorporating a new graphic health warning is:


Note: This image illustrates only one of the available front surface health warning layouts for horizontal pouches.

An example of a round loose leaf tobacco tin incorporating a new graphic health warning is:

New graphic health warnings for cigarette packaging

The following representations are examples of how the images and warnings may appear on cigarette packaging.

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The new information messages are:













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Examples of cigar packaging

An example of a cigar pack incorporating a new graphic health warning is:

Note: This image illustrates only one of the available health warning layouts for cigar retail packaging of this shape and size.

An example of the front of a cigar box incorporating a new graphic health warning is:



Note: This image illustrates only one of the available front surface health warning layouts for horizontal cigar retail packaging. There are different health warning requirements for large cigar retail packaging (those with a front or back surface area of 250cm2 or more). Refer to the Standard in these cases.
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An example of a cigar tube incorporating a new health warning is:




Note: Cigar tubes require text only health warnings.

New graphic health warnings for cigar packaging

The following representations are examples of how the images and warnings may appear on cigar packaging. The Standard allows portrait and horizontal layout options for cigar packaging. These representations have been developed for the horizontal layout option.

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All images are subject to Commonwealth copyright or used under licence.

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