Bangkok, 16 July 2025 – Tobacco control advocates have sounded alarms over mounting delays in the enforcement of standardized tobacco packaging regulations in Myanmar and Lao PDR, citing tobacco industry interference as a major roadblock. In contrast, Thailand and Singapore have fully implemented standardized packaging since 2019 and 2020, respectively. Globally, 27 countries have already implemented standardized tobacco packaging.
The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), in the 4th edition of its Tobacco Packaging and Labelling Index, highlights slow and uneven progress among the 10 ASEAN member states in implementing effective policies conforming to Article 11 (tobacco packaging and labelling) of the
World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
Standardized packaging (SP) facing delays
Myanmar could have been the third Asian country to implement standardized packaging, but its rollout, initially scheduled for April 2022, was postponed four times and is now set for October 2025. In Lao PDR, the initial December 2024 deadline was extended to August 2025 due to industry non-compliance.
Standardized or plain packaging removes all brand logos, colors, and promotional elements from tobacco packaging, leaving only the brand name in a standard font along with the required health warnings. The policy is akey component of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy, as it reduces the appeal of tobacco products, eliminates packaging as a form of advertising or promotion, and prevents the industry from misleading consumers about health risks. It also enhances the visibility and effectiveness of health warnings on tobacco products.
Larger pictorial health warnings (PHWs) needed
Prominent pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging are a powerful communication tool for conveying the harmful effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke to the public. Singapore was the third country in the worldand the first in Asia to implement PHWs in 2004. All 10
ASEAN countries now require PHWs, but some are smaller and less impactful than others. Thailand leads the region with the largest PHWs at 85% of the front and back panels, which ranks as the world’s ninth-largest PHW size with Hong Kong and India. Brunei, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Singapore follow with 75% PHWs, whereas Malaysia requires 65%, Cambodia requires 55%, and Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam trail with only 50%.
“Tobacco companies oppose standardized packaging because they know it reduces consumption. Industry interference remains a major obstacle to the full implementation of standardized tobacco packaging in Myanmar and Lao PDR,” said SEATCA Executive Director, Dr Ulysses Dorotheo. “Governments must resist industry pressure and enforce tobacco control laws, including taking legal action and applying penalties when companies fail to comply.Every delay puts more people at risk of addiction and preventable diseases. No death caused by tobacco is ever acceptable.”
Now in its fourth edition, the SEATCA Tobacco Packaging and Labelling Index is a regional monitoring tool for compliance with Article 11 of the WHO FCTC to assist ASEAN governments in promoting strong and effective tobacco control policies.
A full copy of the 2025 report is available on SEATCA’s website.
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.
Contact Information:
Ms. Cyresse Ann Achilleos, Media and Communications Officer, SEATCA
Email: cyresse@seatca.org
Mobile: +63 975 701 7130
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