Singapore’s Ministry of Health has announced that, from July 1, all cigarette packets must use standardised packaging with larger graphic health warnings, reported Channel News Asia.

The Ministry of Health announced the decision June 29, which has been made as part of Singapore’s continued tobacco control efforts. The new regulations are collectively known as the SP Measure and apply to all tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, beedies, ang hoon and other roll-your-own tobacco products. The new packaging requirement mean the removal of all logos, colours, images and promotional information. Brand and variant names may be displayed, but only using the standard colour and font style. The graphic health warning size will increase from the current 50 per cent to 75 per cent.
According to the report, the Ministry of Health stated, “The SP Measure for tobacco products is part of a multi-pronged approach aimed, among others, at discouraging non-smokers from picking up smoking, encouraging smokers to quit, and encouraging Singaporeans to adopt a tobacco-free lifestyle, which will ultimately lead to reduced smoking prevalence.”
The decision to implement the SP Measure was first announced in October 2018. To prepare for its implementation, tobacco manufacturers, importers, wholesalers and retailers were given a 12-month adjustment period, which began July 1, 2019. This included a 3-month transition period from April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2020.