FDA Proposal: Required Warnings for Cigarette Packages and Advertisements - January 7th, 2011
Part of the comprehensive HHS strategy is to support the Food and Drug Administration in its role of tobacco product regulation. On November 10, the FDA announced a proposed rule that would lead to the implementation of graphic warning labels on cigarette packages and in cigarette advertisements, as mandated by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. In the first change to cigarette warnings in 25 years, textual warning statements will be accompanied by color graphics depicting the ill effects of smoking. The FDA is currently considering 36 images to be coupled with nine different statements designed to elicit responses from a diverse range of audiences. The wording of the nine warnings is mandated by law, but can change over time as needed. [1]
Studies have repeatedly shown that large, graphic warnings are most effective at informing consumers about the health risks of smoking, discouraging nonsmokers from starting to smoke, motivating smokers to quit and boosting the likelihood of success in quitting.[2]
FDA Request for Public Comments – The FDA is requesting public comments on the proposed regulation. Your comments will help FDA determine which of the 25 proposed images will have the greatest impact on the American public. Comments may be submitted on the images themselves, along with other aspects of implementation. Public comments will also help inform the research used to select the first set of images, as well as the ongoing research on their effectiveness and efforts to update these warning labels and images. The FDA is also open to comments on how the federal government can support state and local partners in implementing these new warnings. For more information and for instructions on submitting comments to the FDA visit http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/CigaretteProduct WarningLabels/default.htm.
Timeline:
- Public comment period: November 12, 2010 – January 11, 2011
- FDA issues final rule, including the final selections of graphics: June 22, 2011
- Graphic cigarette warnings to be implemented: September 2012
[1] For more information about the FDA’s proposed rule visit http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/CigaretteProductWarningLabels/default.htm
To view the proposed images visit http://www.fda.gov/downloads/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/CigaretteProductWarningLabels/UCM232425.pdf
[2] Access a fact sheet on cigarette warnings from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids at http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0325.pdf
