Cigarette Pack Warning Labels to Become More Direct: From 'May Cause Cancer' to 'Causes Cancer'

Starting this December, the warning images and text on cigarette packaging will become more intuitive and forceful.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on June 22 that it has revised the notification regarding health warning images and text on cigarette packs. The new regulations will take effect on December 23, following a six-month grace period.
Health warnings on cigarette packs, including images and text, have been updated every two years since they were first implemented on December 23, 2016. The current fifth-generation warning images and text will expire on December 22 of this year.
The newly introduced sixth-generation warning images and text were developed based on domestic and international research results, case analyses, public surveys, and evaluations of the effectiveness of health warnings.
The government finalized the new images and text after conducting administrative previews, consulting on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) with the World Trade Organization (WTO), and undergoing reviews by the Tobacco Control Policy Committee and the National Health Promotion Policy Deliberation Committee.
In the sixth-generation health warnings for cigarettes, the warning image for sexual dysfunction has been removed and replaced with one for kidney cancer.
Additionally, the warning images for oral cancer, heart disease, eye disease, peripheral vascular disease, and secondhand smoke have been updated.
The text, which previously implied potential outcomes, has been changed to state them as direct consequences.
For example, the phrase "The path to lung cancer" has been changed to "Smoking leads to lung cancer," shifting from a message of "you may get cancer" to a definitive "you will get cancer."
For e-cigarettes, both types of warning images have been replaced.
The warning text for e-cigarettes has been categorized to clearly distinguish between addiction and physical lesions, ensuring the specific nature of the risks is communicated effectively.
To enhance the effectiveness of health warnings on cigarette packs, the Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to continue reviewing regulatory policies that align with international standards, such as increasing the size of warning images, expanding the scope of products requiring warnings, and introducing plain packaging.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.