World No Tobacco Day Aims to Boost Plain Packaging

WHO calls plain packaging "an important demand reduction measure that reduces the attractiveness of tobacco products, restricts use of tobacco packaging as a form of tobacco advertising and promotion, limits misleading packaging and labeling, and increases the effectiveness of health warnings."

For this year's World No Tobacco Day, marked on May 31, the World Health Organization and the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control are calling on countries to prepare for plain (standardized) packaging of tobacco products. WHO and its partners mark World No Tobacco Day each day on May 31 and highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use.

WHO calls plain packaging "an important demand reduction measure that reduces the attractiveness of tobacco products, restricts use of tobacco packaging as a form of tobacco advertising and promotion, limits misleading packaging and labeling, and increases the effectiveness of health warnings." The use of plain packaging of tobacco products means that the product packaging restricts or prohibits the use of logos, colors, brand images, or promotional information on packaging other than brand names and product names, which must be displayed in a standard color and font. Guidelines to Articles 11 and 13 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control recommend that parties consider adoption of plain packaging.

And WHO reports interest in plain packaging is progressing:

In December 2012, Australia became the first country to fully implement plain packaging.

Ireland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and France passed laws in 2015 to implement plain packaging from May 2016.

Several countries are in advanced stages of considering adoption of plain packaging laws.

World No Tobacco Day 2016 aims to highlight the role of plain packaging as part of a comprehensive approach to tobacco control; facilitate policy development by Member States and the globalization of plain packaging; and encourage Member States to strengthen packaging and labeling measures and restrictions on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship as they work toward plain packaging.