Lessons from New Zealand’s introduction of pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging
Janet Hoek, Nick Wilson, Matthew Allen, Richard Edwards, George Thomson & Judy Li
Volume 88, Number 11, November 2010, 861-866
Table 2. Timeline of events relevant to New Zealand’s introduction of pictorial health warnings for tobacco products
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 21 May 2003 | FCTC unanimously adopted by the World Health Organization’s 192 Member States. |
| 23 February 2004 | New Zealand Ministry of Health commences consultation over pictorial health warnings. |
| 27 February 2004 | New Zealand ratifies the FCTC. |
| July 2004 | Ministry of Health issues Review of the Smoke-free Environments Regulations 1999 – consultation document. |
| 31 January 2005 | Ministry of Health issues a report Summary of Submissions on the Review of the Smoke-free Environments Regulations 1999. |
| May 2006 | Ministry of Health issues a report Review of the Smoke-free Environments Regulations 1999: Health Warnings on Tobacco Products – consultation document (2006). |
| 31 July 2006 | Ministry of Health issues Smoke-free Environments Regulations Review: Health Warnings on Tobacco Packaging. Final report. |
| 30 October 2006 | The Government approves drafting of regulations requiring pictorial health warnings on tobacco products sold in New Zealand. |
| 26 February 2007 | New labelling regulations receive assent. |
| 28 February 2008 | All tobacco products manufactured for sale in New Zealand must feature pictorial health warnings. |
| June 2008 | A mass media campaign that is thematically linked to one of the new pictorial health warnings commences. |
| 28 August 2008 | All tobacco products sold in New Zealand must feature pictorial health warnings according to the law. |
| 27 February 2009 | First warning rotation commences with a four-month phase-in. |
| April 2009 | A mass media campaign that is thematically linked to one of the new set of pictorial health warnings commences. |
FCTC, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.