New law mandating graphic images of smoking dangers on tobacco product packaging takes effect

Israel now mandates that all smoking products sold nationwide must display graphic images illustrating the dangers of smoking, a measure joining approximately 140 other countries. This new regulation requires that 75% of the packaging for all tobacco and smoking products, including e-cigarettes, hookahs, and nicotine pouches, be covered by warning labels.

These warnings will combine pictorial health warnings with scientific information and contact details for the national smoking cessation hotline and Israel's health funds. The remaining 25% of the packaging will be a specific dark brown shade, Pantone 448C, chosen for its unappealing appearance. Brand colors, logos, and design elements are prohibited, aiming to reduce the products' attractiveness.

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A picture is worth a thousand words, and from today it may also save lives, authentically convey the devastating effects of tobacco and deter even those who do not smoke.

This policy aligns with the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which Israel ratified in 2005. The Israel Cancer Association hailed the legislation as "a very dramatic milestone in the fight against smoking," noting that smoking-related diseases claim over 1,000 lives in Israel monthly. "A picture is worth a thousand words, and from today it may also save lives, authentically convey the devastating effects of tobacco and deter even those who do not smoke," said CEO Moshe Bar Haim.

Despite this progress, Bar Haim expressed concern over rising smoking rates, particularly among children and teenagers using e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. He advocated for banning flavored smoking products that appeal to young people, stating, "We must protect the younger generation from the predatory claws of the tobacco industry." The association supports allowing smoking products only in their original tobacco flavor.

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We must protect the younger generation from the predatory claws of the tobacco industry. All smoking products in Israel, including hookahs, e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, must be permitted only in their original tobacco flavor.