UGANDA STANDARD  
  US 841
First Edition
2009-09-04
 
 
Reference numbe r
US 841: 2009
 © UNBS 2009 
  
Packing and labelling of tobacco products - Requirements  
 US 841: 2009 
ii © UNBS 2009 – All rights reserved
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations 
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct application  
© UNBS 2007  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, in cluding photocopying and microfilm, without prior written 
permission from UNBS. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to 
The Executive Director 
Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
P.O. Box 6329 
Kampala  
Uganda 
Tel: 256 414 505 995 
Fax: 256 414 286 123 
E-mail: unbs@infocom.co.ug
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  
 US 841:2009 
© UNBS 2009 – All rights reserved  iii
 Foreword 
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry  of Tourism, Trade and 
Industry established under Cap 327, of the Laws of Uganda.  UNBS is mandated to co-ordinate the 
elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex A limentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT/SPS Agr eements of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). 
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a gi ven field or area and consists of representatives of 
consumers, traders, academician s, manufacturers, governme nt and other stakeholders. 
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committ ee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  US 841: 2009 
iv © UNBS 2009 – All rights reserved
 Introduction 
It is important that every person should be informed of  the health consequences, addictive nature and mortal 
threat posed by tobacco consumpti on and exposure to tobacco smoke. Globally, many people are not fully 
aware of, misunderstand or underestimate the risks for morbidity and premature mortality due to tobacco use 
and exposure to tobacco smoke. Well designed health warnings and messages on tobacco product packages 
have been shown to be a cost-effective means to increase  public awareness of the health effects of tobacco 
use and to be effective in reducing tobacco consumpt ion. Effective health warnings and messages and other 
tobacco product packaging and labelling measures ar e key components of a comprehensive, integrated 
approach to tobacco control. 
Consistent with the provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the 
requirements of Uganda standard on cigarettes US 313: 2002,  this standard is intended to assist industry to 
implement effective health warnings and messages on tobacco product packages  
 UGANDA STANDARD US 841: 2009
 
 
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yyyy– All rights rePackaging and labelling of tobacco products - requirements 
1 Scope 
This Uganda standard specifies guidelines for packaging and labelling tobacco products. It applies to the 
message content; language and design requirements for location, size and colour. 
2 Terms and definitions 
 For the purposes of these guidelines the fo llowing terms and definitions shall apply: 
2.1 “legal measures”  means any legal instrument that contains or establishes obligations, requirements or 
prohibitions, according to the law of the relevant juri sdiction. Examples of such instruments include, but are 
not limited to acts, laws, regulations a nd administrative or executive orders; 
2.2. “insert” means any communication inside an individual package and/or carton purchased at retail by 
consumers, such as a miniature leaflet or brochure. 
2.3  “onsert”  means any communication affixed to the outside of an individual package and/or carton 
purchased at retail by consumers, such as a mini ature brochure beneath the outer cellophane wrapping or 
glued to the outside of the cigarette package. 
3    Packaging and labelling requirements 
3.1. General requirements 
a) Health warnings and messages shall be large, clea r, visible and legible to effectively communicate 
health risks and to reduce tobacco use.  
b) Health warnings and messages shall be on prin cipal display areas at the front and back name of 
product or brand name or both; 
c) number of cigarettes;  
d) manufacturing date or code; 
e) name and address of manufacturer; 
f) tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide content;  
g) tax stamps or any other informatio n that may be required by authorities; US 841:2009 
© UNBS 2009 – All rights reserved  iii
 a) country of origin; 
3.2 Design requirements 
3.2.1 Location 
(a) health warnings and messages shall be visibly located on all principal display main faces on  both  the 
front and back of packages of each unit packet and package,  
(b) location shall be shall that normal opening of the package does not permanently damage or conceal 
the text or image of the health warning. 
(c) in addition to the health warnings and messages in US 313, further health warnings and messages 
may be placed on all sides of a package, as well as on package inserts and onserts. 
(d)  health warnings and messages shall  not be obstructed when establishing the size and position of 
any  other required packaging and labelling markin gs or by commercial inserts and onserts. 
(e) innovative measures regarding location, including,  but not limited to, requiring health warnings and 
messages to be printed on the filter overwrap port ion of cigarettes and/or on other related materials 
such as packages of cigarette tubes, filters and p apers as well as other instruments, such as those 
used for water pipe smoking may be used. 
3.3 Sizes 
(a) health warnings and messages on tobacco product packaging and labelling shall not be  less than 
30%, of the principal display areas.  
(b) health warnings and messages that cover more t han 50% of the principal display areas may be used  
(c)  The text of health warnings and messages shall  be in bold print in an easily legible font size and in a 
specified style and colour(s) that enhan ce overall visibility and legibility. 
(d) Where border is required, space dedicated to fram ing health warnings and messages from the size of 
the health warning or message itself when calc ulating the percentage of display area occupied by 
them,  shall be excluded  
3.4. Use of pictorials 
Health warnings and messages on tobacco product packaging and labelling may be in the form of or include 
pictures or pictograms and when used s hall meet the following requirements; 
(a) culturally appropriate pictur es or pictograms, in full colour, in their packaging and labelling 
requirements. pictorial health warnings shall be on both principal display areas (or on all main faces if 
there are more than two) of the tobacco products packaging. 
(b) Shall not disrupt the impact of brand imagery on packaging and decrease the overall attractiveness of 
the package. US 841: 2009 
iv © UNBS 2009 – All rights reserved
 (c) Where used obtain possible, ownership or full copyright of images, instead of allowing graphic 
designers or other sources to retain copyright.  
(d) full colour (fourcolour printing), rather than black and whit e shall be used  for noticeability of pictorial 
elements of health warnings and messages. 
(e) other tobacco control interventions, including mass media campaigns and on the Internet may be 
used upon approval by UNBS and MOH 
3.5 Rotations 
This will be implemented as per the requirements defined by applicable regulations by the Uganda  Ministry of 
Health (MOH)  that shall define  multiple health warnings and messages that shall  concurrently be used 
including  setting a date after which the health warning and message content shall change including their 
layout and design.  
3.6. Message content 
3.6.1 General requirements 
Health warnings and messages should be presented in simple, clear and concise language that is culturally 
appropriate.  
3.6.1 Specific requirements 
In line with the US 313: 2006; Uganda Standard on ci garettes - specifications the health warning and 
message shall be;  “HEALTH WARNING:  CIGARETTE SMOKING CAUSES LUNG CANCER, HEART 
DISEASES AND DEATH.”  
ONYO “UVUTAJI WA SIGARA HUSA BABISHA SARATANI YA MAPAFU , MAGONJWA YA MOYO NA 
KIFO” 
3.7. Language and information on constituents  
(a) Health warnings and messages shall appear on each unit packet and package of tobacco products, as well as on any outside packaging and labelling of such products, in English and Swahili and/or 
any other language locally acceptable.  
(b) A maximum of two languages is acceptable 
(c) Where two languages are used, each language sha ll occupy a single principal display area.  
(d) The content of tar and nicotine shall be declared in mg per cigarette including any relevant 
constituents and emissions of tobacco products as  defined by national regulatory authorities and 
these shall appear at the sides. 
 US 841:2009 
© UNBS 2009 – All rights reserved  v
 Certification marking 
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be  marked with Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Certification Mark is gove rned by the Standards Act, and the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those licens ed under the certification mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in co njunction with the relevant Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on a product or in relation to a product is an assurance that the goods comply with the 
requirements of that standard under a system of supervision, control and  testing in accordance with the 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda National  Bureau of Standards. UNBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Further particulars of the terms and conditions of  licensing may be obtained from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau of Standards.