In the future, cigarette packs will feature new warnings and images, such as "the road to lung cancer" and "the road to making others ill."
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 22nd, the newly confirmed fifth stage of cigarette pack health warnings, finalized through a June regulatory revision, will be applied starting from the 23rd after a grace period.
Cigarette pack health warnings are a tobacco regulation policy that displays images or phrases on packaging to encourage smokers to quit and prevent non-smokers from starting. These warnings were introduced domestically in December 2016, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare has been updating the warning images and phrases every two years.
There are 10 types of warning images on cigarette packs, with disease-themed warnings increasing from 5 to 7 types. Two images warning of eye diseases and peripheral vascular diseases have been added, while two types unrelated to specific diseases, such as smoking during pregnancy and early death, have been removed.
The warning phrases have been changed from word-based expressions to sentence-based formats to emphasize the health risks and disease occurrences caused by smoking. For instance, "lung cancer" has been changed to "the road to lung cancer."
For heat-not-burn and liquid-type electronic cigarettes, the theme of the images has increased from one type to two, while the current phrases "nicotine addiction, exposure to carcinogens" will be maintained. The newly revised warning images and phrases will be in effect for the next two years.