Warnings should appear on individual packs, on all outside packaging and on retail displays

Warnings should be required on all main faces of packaging and on the top portion of the packaging. Warnings on the front of the packaging are more visible on retail displays and are better recalled by tobacco users. Tobacco companies consider the top part of the front of packaging “prime real estate”.

Warnings should be required on all main faces of the pack, so that they are visible no matter which side is displayed at retail (if displays are allowed at all), and ignoring the warnings is therefore more difficult for tobacco users.

In addition, requiring warnings on all main faces, rather than just on the front and back, of the packaging leaves fewer loopholes for tobacco companies to alter their packaging to minimize the warning’s impact.

In Egypt and other countries, tobacco companies are marketing double packages that open up to reveal additional main faces that do not carry health warnings.

A snapshot of Europe

Of the 32 European countries (that require at least 30% of principal area to be covered by health warnings) that provided information in 2007, all (100%) require health warnings to appear on each package and outside packaging.