15 September, Bangkok – Cigarette packs in Myanmar are now being sold in standardized packaging; with 75% of the pack covered by new pictorial health warnings. Tobacco companies have begun complying with Myanmar’s Standardized Packaging Regulation after years of delay, marking a significant public health milestone. The regulation was originally approved on 12 October 2021 and should have been implemented after 180 days.
Myanmar is the third Asian country, after Thailand and Singapore, to implement standardized tobacco packaging in line with global best practices to reduce tobacco use. All tobacco products (including cigarette, cheroot, cigar, compounded tobacco (Say Paung), steamed tobacco (Hnut Say), chewing tobacco (Kwan Sarsay)) must be sold in a standardized dull, drab brown-colored packaging, with brand names printed in uniform font type, size, color, and location, without any brand colors or logos and decorative elements. The regulation also mandates the implementation of 10 large, rotating pictorial health warnings alongside the standardized packaging.
“The true victory of standardized tobacco packaging lies in achieving full compliance, backed by strong enforcement and strict penalties for tobacco companies that fail to follow the law, prioritizing public health over corporate profits,” said Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance.
Myanmar now joins 26 other countries worldwide that have adopted this life-saving measure, aligning with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Standardized tobacco packaging is an evidence-based measure designed to reduce the appeal of tobacco products, especially among young people, and to support users who want to quit their nicotine addiction.
Contact Information:
Ms. Cyresse Ann Achilleos, Media and Communications Officer, SEATCA
Email: cyresse@seatca.org
Mobile: +63 975 701 7130
About SEATCA
SEATCA is a multi-sectoral non-governmental alliance promoting health and saving lives by assisting ASEAN countries to accelerate and effectively implement the tobacco control measures contained in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). SEATCA is an accredited ASEAN entity and an official Observer to the WHO FCTC Conference of Parties. WHO bestowed on SEATCA the World No Tobacco Day Award in 2004 and the WHO Director-General’s Special Recognition Award in 2014.