A UK Warning message

Cigarette packet warning signs have been implemented as an effort to enhance the public's knowledge about the dangers of smoking. In general, warning used in different countries try to emphasize the same messages. Warnings for some countries are listed below.

United States of America

• Caution: Cigarette Smoking May be Hazardous to Your Health (1966)
• Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined that Cigarette Smoking is Dangerous to Your Health (1970)
• SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy.
• SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health.
• SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking By Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, And Low Birth Weight.
• SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.

Australia

The Australian warnings consist of six rotating messages occupying 25% of the front of the box. These warnings are:

• smoking causes lung cancer
• smoking is addictive
• smoking kills
• smoking causes heart disease
• smoking when pregnant harms your baby
• your smoking can harm others

Additionally, 33% of the back of the box must contain detailed information about the harm of smoking. The information relates to the specific warning used on the front.

Furthermore, each box must display (occupying an entire side of the pack) information regarding the tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide content of each cigarette.

Canada

In Canada, as well as written warnings, pictures of body parts ruined by smoking are displayed on the side of the packets.

European Union

Cigarette packets and other tobacco packaging must include warnings in the same size and format and using the same approved texts (in the appropriate local languages) in all member states of the European Union.

These warnings are displayed in black Helvetica bold on a white background with a thick black border. Ireland prefaces its warnings with "Irish Government Warning". In member states with more than one official language the warnings are displayed in all languages, with the sizes adjusted accordingly (for example in Belgium the messages are written in Dutch, French and German and in Luxembourg in French, German and Luxembourgish). All cigarette packets sold in the European Union must display the content of nicotine and tar in the same manner on the side of the packet. The following English-language messages are the ones currently used in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

One of the following general warnings must be displayed, covering at least 30% of the surface of the pack:

• Smoking kills / Smoking can kill
• Smoking seriously harms you and others around you

Additionally, one of the following additional warnings must be displayed, covering at least 40% of the surface of the pack:

• Smokers die younger
• Smoking clogs the arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes
• Smoking causes fatal lung cancer
• Smoking when pregnant harms your baby
• Protect children: don't make them breathe your smoke
• Your doctor or your pharmacist can help you stop smoking
• Smoking is highly addictive, don't start
• Stopping smoking reduces the risk of fatal heart and lung diseases
• Smoking can cause a slow and painful death
• Get help to stop smoking: telephone/postal address/internet address/consult your doctor/pharmacist
• Smoking may reduce the blood flow and cause impotence
• Smoking causes ageing of the skin
• Smoking can damage the sperm and decreases fertility
• Smoke contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.

The French-language versions of these warnings are:

• Fumer tue / peut tuer
• Fumer nuit gravement à votre santé et à celle de votre entourage

• Les fumeurs meurent prématurément.
• Fumer bouche les artères et provoque des crises cardiaques et des attaques cérébrales.
• Fumer provoque le cancer mortel du poumon.
• Fumer pendant la grossesse nuit à la santé de votre enfant.
• Protégez les enfants : ne leur faites par respirer votre fumée.
• Votre médecin ou votre pharmacien peuvent vous aider à arrêter de fumer.
• Fumer crée une forte dépendance, ne commencez pas.
• Arrêter de fumer réduit les risques de maladies cardiaques et pulmonaires mortelles.
• Fumer peut entraîner une mort lente et douloureuse.
• Faites-vous aider pour arrêter de fumer : téléphonez au 0 825 309 310 (0,15 euro/min)
• Fumer peut diminuer l'afflux sanguin et provoque l'impuissance.
• Fumer provoque un vieillissement de la peau.
• Fumer peut nuire aux spermatozoïdes et réduit la fertilité.
• La fumée contient du benzène, des nitrosamines, du formaldéhyde et du cyanure d'hydrogène.

Russian Federation

Main:

• «Минздрав России предупреждает: курение вредит Вашему здоровью»

Additional:

• «Курение — причина раковых заболеваний»
• «Курение — причина смертельных заболеваний»
• «Оградите детей от табачного дыма»
• «Курение табака вызывает никотиновую зависимость»
• «Курение — причина заболеваний сердца»

Spoof cigarette warnings

In response to the European Union's directives on cigaratte warnings, some smokers have begun to deface the messages, either by hand or through the use of spoof stickers. One merchant offering such stickers includes the following messages:

• You could get hit by a bus tomorrow
• Smoking is cool
• Smoking makes you look big and clever
• Smoking makes you look sexy
• Live fast, die young
• You will get fat if you stop smoking
• Social smoking doesn't count

Exterior links

• BBC News Online: "Spoof cigarette warnings slammed"

• Directive 2001/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2001