Cigarette Packs in Armenian Market Introduce New Design

Recently, there has been a noticeable change in the packaging of tobacco brands in Armenia. Health warnings now include not only textual information but also pictorial representations.

This change is due to the implementation of the technical regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) regarding tobacco products, which came into effect on January 1 of this year. The alterations apply to all types of tobacco, both imported and locally produced.

It is important to note that cigarette packs produced or imported into Armenia before the end of last year, featuring the "old design," can remain in circulation until they are completely sold out, although the new products must comply with the new requirements. This might explain why international brands have begun to present their products in new packaging, while changes in the design of local manufacturers' cigarettes will become apparent later.

The main change involves the warning images, which now must occupy 50% of the front and back surfaces of the pack. According to the new rules, warning texts are presented in Armenian on the front and in Russian on the back. Furthermore, information regarding the quantity of tar and nicotine content has been removed from the pack.

Descriptions that might create the impression of reduced harm for consumers, such as “light,” “very light,” “soft,” “extra,” and “ultra,” among others, are also prohibited. The only exception is made for information regarding the presence of menthol.

Additionally, it should be noted that aside from the external appearance of the pack, no other changes have been made to the tobacco itself. It is noteworthy that the EAEU technical regulation was adopted back in 2014, when Armenia was not yet a member of the union, and it has been in effect in EAEU member states since the end of 2017. This resulted in a rather lengthy transitional period for Armenia, which only concluded at the end of last year.