Parliament yesterday evening passed a bill which allowed increased pictorial warnings covering 80 per cent of cigarette packets. This amends the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act No 27 of 2006.

In the regulation it is mentioned that the pictorial should consist of warning printed on both sides of every cigarette packet, package or carton containing cigarettes, and 80% of the total area of a packet, package or a carton.

The Health warnings will have to indicate the health hazards and the harmful effects caused by the usage of tobacco products.

Furthermore, it will be required to include a label or statement specifying the tar and nicotine content in each tobacco product in such package.

Health warnings have to be changed once every six months. The pictorials, pictograms and messages that can be used will be made available by the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol.

The manufacturers and importers of existing stocks of tobacco products will be granted a grace period up to June 1, 2015 to comply with the provisions.

Currently, cigarette packs are required to have 50-60% pictorial warning as per the Court of Appeals decision of May 2014.