Large, picture-based health warning labels on tobacco packages are an essential component of a national strategy to reduce tobacco use. Scientific studies have found that prominent health warnings lead to greater awareness of health risks of tobacco use and an increased desire to quit.

Studies have also found that warning labels are most effective at communicating the health risks of tobacco use when they contain both pictures and words and are large and in color. Warning labels also must be rotated periodically to avoid exposure.

Article 11 of the World Health Organization tobacco control treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, states that health warnings should cover at least 50 percent of the principal display areas (both the front and back) of the tobacco package, but at a minimum must cover at least 30 percent of the principal display areas. It also requires that the warnings be rotated and recommends the use of pictures or pictograms.

Parties to the treaty have three years to comply with these warning label requirements.

At least 14 countries in North and South America, Asia, the South Pacific, Europe and the Middle East have required picture-based health warnings. Canada was the first country to do so in 2001.
India and United Kingdom recently became the latest country to require picture-based health warnings.

Effective dates are December 1, 2007 for India and October 1, 2008 for the U.K.

Related Information

Warning Labels Fact Sheet

[ HTML | Downloadable PDF (577 KB) ]

Related Information

Brazil National Health Surveillance Agency (in Portuguese)

Brazil National Institute of Cancer

Association of European Cancer Leagues

Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing

Canadian Supreme Court Decision on Warning Pictures

Cancer Research UK Briefing on Tobacco Packaging and Labeling

European Union Health Warning Labels

Health Canada Health Warning Labels

Pan American Health Organization on Package Health Warnings

Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada: List of picture warning labels in different countries

Statement of the Canadian Cancer Society on Canadian Supreme Court Decision

Statement of Physicians for a Smoke-free Canada on Canadian Supreme Court Decision

Tobacco Control Supersite on graphic cigarette warning labels

Tobacco Labelling Resource Centre: Resources to help guide the development of effective labelling practices covered under the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)

World Bank Tobacco Pack Information

Reports, Articles & Studies

Canadian Cancer Society, Controlling the Tobacco Epidemic: Selected Evidence in Support of Banning All Tobacco Advertising and Promotion, and Requiring Large, Picture-Based Health Warnings on Tobacco Packages, Ottawa: Canadian Cancer Society, International Union Against Cancer (April 2001)

Environics Research Group Limited, Evaluation of New Warnings On Cigarette Packages (January 2002)

Overview of International Developments by Ron Cunningham at the Canadian Cancer Society (March 2007) (includes many useful links, especially to legislation and decisions)