Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China, has finalized a requirement for picture warnings to appear on 50% of the front and back of cigarette packages effective January 1, 2013. The warnings will appear in Chinese on one side and Portuguese on the other. Picture warnings will also appear on packages for other tobacco products.
Just as Hong Kong is a former British colony, Macau is a former Portuguese colony (Macau and Hong Kong are located quite close to each other). That Macau has required picture warnings is helpful to make the case for all of China to improve warnings, including to require picture warnings.
Picture warnings have now been required by Macau and Hong Kong. Taiwan has required picture warnings. And Singapore – a Chinese speaking country – has also required picture warnings.
The new Macau warnings are required by Administrative Regulation No. 16/2012, approved on May 4, 2012. To see a Portuguese version of the regulation (with a link to a pdf of a bilingual Chinese/Portuguese version), including images of the new picture warnings, visit:
http://bo.io.gov.mo/bo/i/2012/20/regadm16.asp
The regulations are authorized by Law No. 5/2011, approved April 25, 2011. This law specifies that the warning size is to be at least 50%. To see a Portuguese version of the law (with a link to a pdf of a bilingual Chinese/Portuguese version), visit:
http://bo.io.gov.mo/bo/i/2011/18/lei05.asp
Worldwide, there are now at least 56 countries/jurisdictions that have finalized requirements for picture warnings.