All tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes, including but not limited to HS codes starting with, 2402 and 2403 and nicotine delivery systems, including components of such systems, including but not limited to HS codes starting with 2403, 3824 and 8543

Draft Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco Products) Regulations 2020 (48 pages; in English; and French in relation to health warnings)

The Ministry of Health and Wellness proposes to repeal the existing Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco Products) Regulations 2008 (as amended) and replace with the Draft Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco Products) Regulations 2020 ("the proposed measure") to further strengthen the tobacco control framework in Mauritius by:

·         Expanding the application of tobacco control regulations to include novel and emerging tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems, electronic non-nicotine delivery systems and methods of advertising, promotion and sponsorship to keep pace with market developments.

·         Expanding the public places where use of tobacco products is prohibited.

·         Introducing new, larger graphic health warnings for all tobacco products, increasing the minimum size of the mandatory graphic health warnings from the existing 65% of packaging surfaces to cover 90-100% of specified tobacco product packaging surfaces.

·         Placing further restrictions on sale, importation, manufacture and distribution of tobacco products.

·         Introducing standards for manufacture of Reduced Ignition Propensity (RIP) cigarettes for importation, sale and supply in Mauritius.

·         Introducing reporting requirements for manufacturers and importers of tobacco products.

·         Introducing Standardised Packaging for Tobacco Products which aims to strictly regulate promotional aspects of tobacco packaging and to standardise packaging elements by removing all logos, colours, brand images, and promotional information on packaging, other than brand names and product names (variants) displayed in a standard colour and font style (the "proposed Standardized Packaging measure").

The proposed Standardized Packaging measure will require all tobacco products, and the packaging or labelling of tobacco products, to comply with every requirement prescribed, including requirements as to size, appearance, design, health warnings and other information to be stated. Tobacco products and their packaging or labelling will also not be permitted to bear any trade mark, term, descriptor, figurative or other sign, feature, scent or sound that is proscribed, or promotes the tobacco product by any means that is false, misleading, deceptive or likely to create an erroneous impression about its characteristics, health effects, hazards or emissions.

The import into Mauritius, and the distribution, sale, offer for sale or possession for sale in Mauritius, of non-compliant tobacco products will be made an offence. Details of the proposed Regulations are available upon request from the contact point in section 11 below.