From 1 April 2024, the Department of Health and Aged Care became responsible for administering and enforcing the Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Act 2023. This includes the tobacco health warnings mandatory standard.
Direct all enquiries about this mandatory standard to the Department of Health and Aged Care.
All retail tobacco products must carry health warnings. This applies to all tobacco products manufactured in, and imported into, Australia.
This information is an overview of how to comply with the mandatory standard. Suppliers must not rely on this information as a complete guide to compliance.
View the full detail of the standard.
The labelling must have:
The health warnings must cover a significant part of a retail tobacco package. For example, for cigarettes they must be 75% of the front and 90% of the back of a cigarette packet.
Cigars and other tobacco products have their own specific requirements, all of which are clearly outlined in the mandatory information standard.
The health warnings must be rotated in accordance with the schedule prescribed in the mandatory information standard.
In 2023, the Department of Health and Aged Care consolidated several tobacco Acts and delegated legislation to strengthen tobacco laws. This change included the tobacco health warnings mandatory standard
The Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Act 2023 passed parliament in December 2023 and came into effect on 1 April 2024. The Department of Health and Aged Care is responsible for administering and enforcing this legislation.
Direct all enquiries about this mandatory standard and legislation to the Department of Health and Aged Care.
New laws for the regulation of vapes or e-cigarettes have been introduced to protect the health of the community, particularly young people. Find out more about vaping and e-cigarettes and e-cigarette regulations from the Department of Health and Aged Care.
