Currently in country of Australia, all cigar boxes look the same. The colors are cool gray 2c, The font that is used is Lucida Sans 12, and the images are a series of revolving images from diseased lungs, to a person’s foot with a toe tag attached.
The FDA Rules that came out today imposes new packaging guidelines for the cigar industry and while not as extreme it will change how a cigar box looks inside the humidor of your local brick & mortar.
Revisions to Health Warning Requirements–FDA is finalizing this deeming rule with a few changes to the proposed health warning requirements for newly deemed products. For example, FDA has slightly revised the nicotine warning statement to read: “WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.” The alternative warning statement for products that do not contain nicotine (i.e., no nicotine at detectable levels) is revised to read: “This product is made from tobacco.” We have also provided additional language explaining the process for self-certifying that the product does not contain nicotine, which must be submitted to FDA, and the recordkeeping recommendations for this self-certification. E-liquids that do not contain tobacco or nicotine or are not derived from tobacco or nicotine do not meet the definition of “covered tobacco product,” as described throughout this final rule, and will not be required to carry an addiction warning or to submit a self-certification. In addition, we have added language to clarify that the warning statements on packages must be printed in at least 12-point font size to be conspicuous and legible.
Further, we have added a provision to indicate that a product package too small or otherwise unable to accommodate a label with sufficient space to bear such information will be exempt from the requirements to place the warning statement directly on packages (as required in § 1143.3(a)(1)), as long as the warning requirements enumerated in § 1143.3(a)(2) and (d) are met. For instance, for small packages, the warning statement must appear on the two principal display panels on the outer carton or other outer container or wrapper or on a tag otherwise permanently affixed to the tobacco product package. This required warning must be printed using the same specifications in § 1143.3(a)(1) and (2) (which provide the specifications for the addiction warning). In such cases, the carton, outer container, wrapper, or tag would serve as one of the principal display panels.
1143.3 has language that includes:
This warning will be required to appear on at least 30 percent of the two principal display panels of the package and at least 20 percent of the area of the advertisement.
An example of the new change can be seen below, and is mock-up based on the new language…
