Tobacco Control and Smoking Graphic Warnings New regulations What pictures will be used? What about the old text warnings? How many new warnings are there and when will they be introduced? What are the new warnings and what do they look like? New regulations On 28 February 2008, the regulations around graphic pictorial health warnings appearing on all tobacco packages sold in New Zealand come into force. The regulations, which were passed in February 2007, will see 30 percent of the front and 90 percent of the back of cigarette packets covered by graphic health warnings. What pictures will be used? These new warnings include pictures of gangrenous toes, rotting teeth and gums, diseased lungs and smoking-damaged hearts. Cigarette packets will also carry the Quitline logo and freephone number and other information about quitting smoking. Tobacco companies were given a year to comply with the new legislation after the regulations were passed. Back to top What about the old text warnings? Prior to the introduction of graphic warnings, New Zealand had six different text warnings that featured on tobacco packages. These were: smoking causes lung cancer, smoking is addictive, smoking kills, smoking causes heart disease, smoking when pregnant harms your baby and your smoking can harm others. Once the new regulations come into force on 28 February 2008, retailers will have six months to sell existing cigarettes featuring the old text warnings. How many new warnings are there and when will they be introduced? There are 14 graphic warnings in total. Seven graphic warnings will appear on cigarette packets in both English and te reo Māori in year one (from 28 February 2008), with a further seven warnings in year two (from March 2009), and will then be rotated each year thereafter. The rotation system will optimise consumer learning and awareness of the health effects of smoking. Back to top What are the new warnings and what do they look like? A list of the 14 new health warnings is provided below and the images that accompany them can be viewed by clicking on the link below - Warning: the images are graphic in nature. View the 14 new graphic health warnings Smoking causes blindness KA KĀPŌ KOE I TE MOMI HIKARETI Smoking causes gangrene KA PĀNGIA KOE I TE KIKOHUNGA I TE MOMI HIKARETI Smoking causes mouth cancer KA MATE PUKUPUKU Ō TE WAHA KOE I TE MOMI HIKARETI You are not the only one smoking this cigarette ĒHARA KO KOE ANAKE KEI TE MOMI I TĒNEI HIKARETI Over 80% of lung cancers are caused by smoking TE NUINGA O NGĀ MATE PUKUPUKU Ā PŪKAHUKAHU NĀ TE MOMI HIKARETI Tobacco smoke is poisonous HE PAIHANA TE AUAHI HIKĀ Smoking causes heart attacks KA MĀUIUI TŌU NGĀKAU I TE MOMI HIKARETI Smoking can make you impotent KA KAHAKORE TE URE I TE MOMI HIKARETI Smoking is highly addictive KA TINO WAREA TE TANGATA I TE MOMI HIKARETI Smoking causes foul and offensive breath KA HAUNGA, KA KEHAKEHA TŌU HĀ I TE MOMI HIKARETI Your smoking can harm your kids KOI PĀNGIA I TE MATE ŌU TAMARIKI I TŌU MOMI HIKARETI Smoking causes serious lung diseases HE TINO KINO TE MATE MIRU PUPUHI Smoking more than doubles your risk of stroke KA TINO KAHA RAWA AKE TŌU PĀNGIA ANA I TE MATE RORO IKURA I TE MOMI HIKARETI Smoking blocks your arteries KA AUKATIHIA ŌU IOIO TOTO I TE MOMI HIKARETI Website feedback We welcome your feedback on this page. Back to top

Media releases Hard hitting anti-smoking ads to strike chord with smokers (1 Jun 2008) Graphic health warnings on tobacco products bear the ugly truth (www.beehive.govt.nz) (27 Feb 2008) Countdown to graphic pictorial warnings on cigarette packets begins (www.beehive.govt.nz) (27 Feb 2007) Graphic warnings for cigarette packets (www.beehive.govt.nz) (2 Nov 2006) Related information Smoke-free Environments Regulations 2007 (www.legislation.govt.nz) These regulations were made under the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990 and set out the new labelling requirements for retail packages of cigarettes and other tobacco products, which includes packages displaying graphic pictorial health warnings. Graphic warning brochures now available to order or download

Page last updated: 12 June 2008