TNCO ceilings

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The Tar, Nicotine and Carbon monoxyde ceilings (more commonly defined as TNCO ceilings) are the average upper limits on total aerosol residue, nicotine and carbon monoxide contents of a cigarette, as measured on a smoking machine and according to a given set of ISO standards[1]. Because these refer to machine-generated yields rather than the average smoker's intake, these values have often been decried as misleading[2].

A growing number of countries are nevertheless using such values as upper yield limitations for the cigarettes marketed under their jurisdiction.

Contents

[edit] Africa

Country Tar Nicotine CO As of Country Tar Nicotine CO As of
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo 15 1.5 - 07.2007 Flag of Egypt Egypt 15 2 - 01.2005
Flag of Libya Libya 12 0.8 -   Flag of South Africa South Africa 12 1.2 - 06.2006
All values in mg/cigarette and must be reported on packs.

Most countries on the continent do not impose maximum values for either tar, nicotine or CO, but Burkina Faso, Benin, Cape Verde, Morocco nevertheless demand that yield values be reported on pack.

[edit] Americas

Country Tar Nicotine CO As of Country Tar Nicotine CO As of
Flag of Honduras Honduras 14 1.1 - 11.1995 Flag of Brazil Brazil 10 1 10 12.2001
All values in mg/cigarette and must be reported on packs.

Whereas Ecuador prohibits the indication of TNCO yields, Canada, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and Peru require these values to be indicated without mandating upper limits. Canada demands values measured both with ISO standards and Health Canada's Intensive Method, as well as the yields for formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and benzene.

[edit] Asia & Pacific

Country Tar Nicotine CO As of Country Tar Nicotine CO As of Country Tar Nicotine CO As of
Flag of Brunei Brunei 15 1.3 - 02.2008 Flag of the People's Republic of China China 15 - - 07.2004 Flag of Hong Kong Hong Kong 17 - - 1992
Flag of Macau Macau 20 1.5 - 08.1996 Flag of Malaysia Malaysia 20 1.5 - 05.1994 Flag of Mongolia Mongolia 15 1.4 - -
Flag of Singapore Singapore 15 1.3 - 05.1993 Flag of the Republic of China Taiwan 12 1.2 - 07.2007 Flag of Vietnam Vietnam 24 2.2 - 3.2007[3]
All values in mg/cigarette and must be reported on packs (see exceptions below).

Although many countries in the region do not impose formal ceilings, some still request that tar and nicotine yield values be indicated on the pack (India, Indonesia, Japan). In Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, on the other hand, measured values must only be reported to the government.

[edit] Eastern Europe and former CIS

Country Tar Nicotine CO As of Country Tar Nicotine CO As of Country Tar Nicotine CO As of
Flag of Albania Albania 10 1 10 05.2007 Flag of Armenia Armenia 14[4] 1.2 - 12.2005 Flag of Belarus Belarus 14 1.2 - -
Flag of Croatia Croatia 12 - - - Flag of Georgia (country) Georgia 10 1 - 04.2005 Flag of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan 14[4] 1.2 - 07.2003
Flag of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan 14[4] 1.2 - Flag of the Republic of Macedonia Macedonia 10 1 10 03.2008 Flag of Moldova Moldova 15 1.2 - 01.2008[5]
Flag of Montenegro Montenegro 10 1 10 02.2004 Flag of Russia Russia 14[6] 1.2 - Flag of Serbia Serbia 14[7] 1.4 14 01.2007
Flag of Turkmenistan Turkmenistan 16 1.4 - - Flag of Ukraine Ukraine 15[8] 1.3 - 07.1997 Flag of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan 16 1.4 - -
All values in mg/cigarette and must be reported on packs.

While Kosovo should soon enact regulation imposing ceilings, Bosnia-Herzegovina only requires tar and nicotine yields to be indicated, without imposing maximal values.

[edit] European Union/EFTA

Country Tar Nicotine CO As of Country Tar Nicotine CO As of Country Tar Nicotine CO As of
Flag of Austria Austria 10 1 10 01.2004 Flag of Belgium Belgium 10 1 10 01.2004 Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria 11 1 10 01.2008
Flag of Cyprus Cyprus 10 1 10 05.2004 Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic 10 1 10 05.2004 Flag of Denmark Denmark 10 1 10 01.2004
Flag of Estonia Estonia 10 1 10 06.2006 Flag of Finland Finland 10 1 10 01.2004 Flag of France France 10 1 10 01.2004
Flag of Germany Germany 10 1 10 01.2004 Flag of Greece Greece 10 1 10 01.2007 Flag of Hungary Hungary 10 1 10 04.2004
Flag of Iceland Iceland 10 1 10 01.2004 Flag of Ireland Ireland 10 1 10 09.2003 Flag of Italy Italy 10 1 10 01.2004
Flag of Latvia Latvia 10 1 10 10.2004 Flag of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein 10 1 10 10.2004 Flag of Lithuania Lithuania 10 1 10 06.2004
Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 10 1 10 01.2004 Flag of Malta Malta 10 1 10 04.2004 Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands 10 1 10 01.2004
Flag of Norway Norway 10 1 10 01.2004 Flag of Poland Poland 10 1 10 03.2004 Flag of Portugal Portugal 10 1 10 01.2004
Flag of Romania Romania 10 1 10 01.2007 Flag of Slovakia Slovakia 10 1 10 07.2006 Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 10 1 10 01.2004
Flag of Spain Spain 10 1 10 01.2004 Flag of Sweden Sweden 10 1 10 01.2004 Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 10 1 10 10.2004
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 10 1 10 09.2003  
All values in mg/cigarette.

Current regulations are based on European Union directive 2001/37PDF (220 KiB). All yields must be indicated on the side of the pack with a minimum surface area of 10%, except for Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta (12%), Liechtenstein & Switzerland (15%) and Italy (20%).

[edit] Middle East

Country Tar Nicotine CO As of Country Tar Nicotine CO As of Country Tar Nicotine CO As of
Flag of Bahrain Bahrain 10 0.6 12 01.1995 Flag of Jordan Jordan 10 1 15 01.2004 Flag of Kuwait Kuwait 10 0.6 12 01.1995
Flag of Oman Oman 10 0.6 12 01.1995 Palestinian flag Palestinian Authority 25 1.6 - 07.2005 Flag of Qatar Qatar 10 0.6 12 01.1995
Flag of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 10 0.6 12 01.1995 Flag of Syria Syria 13 1.1 10.5 01.2007 Flag of Turkey Turkey 12 1 10 01.2007
Flag of the United Arab Emirates UAE 10 0.6 12 01.1995 Flag of Yemen Yemen 12 0.8 - 01.1995  
All values in mg/cigarette and must be reported on packs (see exceptions below).

The Palestinian Authority and Yemen do not require tar and nicotine values to be indicated on the packs' side.

[edit] Notes and References

  1. ^ ISO methods 3308 (general conditions), 4387 (tar), 8454 (CO) and 10315 (nicotine).
  2. ^ WHO Scientific Advisory Committee on Tobacco Product Regulation. Recommendation on Health Claims Derived from ISO/FTC Method to Measure Cigarette Yield. 2002
  3. ^ Tar/Nicotine ceilings will be gradually lowered in two-year intervals from 22/2 mg on March 17, 2008, to 16/1.4 mg on March 17, 2014
  4. ^ a b c For filter cigarettes. Non filter: 16 mg tar and 1.3 mg nicotine
  5. ^ According to the Ministry of Agriculture Draft Law, the Max. Yield of Tar/Nicotine/CO for filter cigarettes suggested to be as follows: as of 01.01.2008 - 15/1,2 (+CO regulated); as of 01.01.2010 - 12/1,0/14; as of 01.01.2012 - 10/1,0/10 respectively.
  6. ^ Draft law Tobacco Techncial Regulations envisage a transition to maximum yields of T/N at 12/1.0 for filter and 14/1.2 for non-filter in 2 years after the Regulations come into force. The maximum T/N/CO yields at 10/1.0/10 for filter and at 13/1.1/14 for non-filter will come into force in 2 more years. The draft was submitted to Russian State Duma in November 2006. The document will be required to pass three readings in Duma,one in Russian Federation Council and to be signed by the President to come into force. On June 15, 2007 the draft law was adopted by Duma in first reading. The draft in 2d reading may change implementation dates, that is for filter 10/1, non filter 13/1.1 from July 1, 2009, CO -10 from July 1, 2010, no CO for non-filter.
  7. ^ As of January 2008 respective T/N/CO ceilings will be 12.0, 1.3, 13.0; as of January 2009 10.0, 1.2, 12.0; as of January 2010 10.0, 1.1, 11.0; as of January 2011 10.0, 1.0, 10.0.
  8. ^ Ceiling values in Ukraine to be lowered to 12 mg and 1.2 mg/cigarette for tar and nicotine, respectively, as of Jan. 1, 2009

[edit] See also