Israel Imposes Heavy Fines for Selling Cigarettes Without Graphic Health Warnings
Starting today, Israel joins 140 countries in requiring graphic health warnings covering 75% of tobacco packaging to deter smoking and raise awareness of its health risks.
This morning (Sunday), the State of Israel joins approximately 140 countries around the world that implement warnings with images describing the dangers of smoking. This policy covers about 66% of the world's population and is considered one of the most effective tools for deterring smoking and raising awareness of its damages.
The implementation in Israel is part of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which the State of Israel signed in June 2003 and ratified in August 2005. The convention is intended to protect the public from the devastating health, social, environmental, and economic consequences of tobacco consumption.
The law requiring these deterrent warnings went through a long journey of pressure and opposition lasting over two decades. The Israel Cancer Association emphasizes that although this is a dramatic milestone, the images are part of a broader approach to reducing smoking and its damages in Israel.
The warnings, which include images and scientific content, now occupy 75% of the packaging area for all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, hookahs, roll-your-own tobacco, and nicotine pouches. Additionally, a reference to the national cessation hotline and health funds appears next to the warning.
Moshe Bar-Haim, CEO of the Israel Cancer Association, said:
"Today is a very dramatic milestone in the fight against smoking, as the image creates an immediate connection between the health damage and the product that claims over 1,000 lives every month in Israel. A picture is worth a thousand words, and from today it may also save lives, authentically convey the devastating effects of tobacco, and deter even those who do not smoke. We must protect the young generation from the predatory claws of the tobacco industry. All smoking products, including hookahs, electronic cigarettes, and nicotine pouches, must be left in Israel only with the original taste of tobacco alone."
According to the updated law, marketing a smoking product without an image of health damage is a serious criminal offense. Tobacco companies or importers who violate the law and distribute packs without images will be fined up to 452,000 NIS for a corporation, or 226,000 NIS for a private business.
