In this publication, we provide information on how health warnings are regulated and show illustrations that exemplify the design of health warnings on different packages for:

• electronic cigarettes and refill containers
• herbal products for smoking
• tobacco free nicotine products
• tobacco products.

Packaging for products that are intended for consumers on the Swedish market must carry health warnings in Swedish. If the product's packaging lacks health warnings or if the health warning do not comply with the Swedish legislation, the product may not be provided to consumers on the Swedish market. Please note that for tobacco products, this also applies when they are intended to be supplied to retailers on the Swedish market.

It is the product's manufacturer or importer who is responsible for ensuring that the product's packaging complies with the rules on health warnings.

Packaging of:

• electronic cigarettes and refill containers,
• tobacco free nicotine products,
• tobacco products (cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco and waterpipe tobacco, smokeless tobacco products and tobacco products for smoking),
• herbal products for smoking

that are intended for consumers on the Swedish market must carry health warnings in Swedish. If the product's packaging lacks health warnings or if the health warning do not comply with the Swedish legislation, the product may not be provided to consumers on the Swedish market. Please note that for tobacco products, this also applies when they are intended to be supplied to retailers on the Swedish market.

It is the product's manufacturer or importer who is responsible for ensuring that the product's packaging complies with the rules on health warnings.

The displayed illustrations are only examples of how health warnings may be designed and placed on different type of packages to electronic cigarettes and refill containers, tobacco free nicotine products, smokeless tobacco products, tobacco products for smoking and herbal products for smoking. Please note that the illustrations are non-binding.

• Chapter 3 Section 2 of the Act (2018:2088) on Tobacco and Similar Products.
• Chapter 3 Section 9 of the Decree (2019:223) on Tobacco and Similar Products.

Each unit packet and any outside packaging for electronic cigarettes and refill containers must use the following health warning in Swedish. Please note that transparent wrappers are not regarded as outside packaging and that the health warning ends with a period:

The health warnings must:

• Appear on the two largest surfaces of the packaging.
• Cover 30 percent of the area of the corresponding surface of the packaging.
• Be parallel to the main text on the surface reserved for the warning.
• Be at the centre of the surface reserved for the warning, and on cuboid packets and any outside packaging be parallel to the lateral edge of these packaging.
• Be printed in black Helvetica bold type on a white background.
• Use the font size that ensures that the text occupies the greatest possible proportion of the surface reserved for the warning.

Please note that the health warning (picture 1) ends with a period and that the health warning has no border.

Picture 1. Illustration of the health warning for electronic cigarettes and refill containers.

Please note that the health warning (picture 2) is parallel to the lateral edge of the package.

Picture 2. Illustration of health warnings on a cuboid packet for electronic cigarettes and refill containers.

Please note that the health warning (picture 3) is parallel to the lateral edge of the package.

Picture 3. Illustration of health warnings on a multi-pack display packaging for electronic cigarettes and refill containers.

• Section 7 of the Act (2022:1257) on Tobacco Free Nicotine Products.
• Section 12 of the Decree (2022:1263) on Tobacco Free Nicotine Products.
• Section 9–10 of the Public Health Agency of Sweden's regulations on Tobacco Free Nicotine Products, HSLF-FS 2023:24.

Each unit packet and any outside packaging for tobacco free nicotine products must use the following health warning in Swedish. Please note that the health warning ends with a period:

The health warning may be affixed by means of stickers, provided that such stickers are irremovable. The health warnings must:

• Appear on the two largest surfaces of the packaging.
• Cover 30 percent of the area of the corresponding surface of the packaging.
• Be parallel to the main text on the surface reserved for the warning.
• Be at the centre of the surface reserved for the warning, and on cuboid packets and any outside packaging be parallel to the lateral edge of these packaging.
• Be printed in black Helvetica bold type on a white background.
• Use the font size that ensures that the text occupies the greatest possible proportion of the surface reserved for the warning.

Please note that the health warning (picture 4) ends with a period and that the health warning has no border.

Picture 4. Illustration of the health warning for tobacco free nicotine products.

Please note that the two largest surfaces (picture 5) vary based on the size and proportions of the package.

Picture 5. Illustration of the health warnings on a cylinder-shaped unit package for tobacco free nicotine products.

Two examples (picture 6) that illustrates the placement of the health warning on the packaging's banner for a cylinder-shaped unit package.

Picture 6. Illustration of the health warnings on the packaging's banner for a cylinder-shaped unit package for tobacco free nicotine products.

Two examples (picture 7) that illustrates the placement of the health warning on the bottom or lid of a cylinder-shaped unit package.

Picture 7. Illustration of the health warnings on the bottom or lid for a cylinder-shaped unit package for tobacco free nicotine products.

Please note that the health warning (picture 8) can be placed in two positions because it must be parallel to the lateral edge of the package and parallel to the main text, and that the two largest surfaces of the package vary based on the size and proportions of the package.

Picture 8. Illustration of health warnings on a cuboid packet for tobacco free nicotine products.

• Chapter 3 Section 1 of the Act (2018:2088) on Tobacco and Similar Products.
• Chapter 3 Section 1 of the Decree (2019:223) on Tobacco and Similar Products.
• Chapter 1–2 and Chapter 5 Section 2–7 of the Public Health Agency of Sweden's regulations on the Design of Health Warnings and the Placement of Health Warnings on the Packaging of Tobacco Products, HSLF-FS 2016:46.

Health warnings for Cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco and waterpipe tobacco includes a general warning, information message and combined health warning with reference to the smoking cessation services.

Each unit packet and any outside packaging for cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco or waterpipe tobacco must use the following general warning in Swedish:

Each unit packet and any outside packaging for cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco or waterpipe tobacco must use the following information message in Swedish:

It is the type of packaging determines the position of the general warning and information message.

For cuboid packets, the general warning must appear on the bottom part of one of the lateral surfaces of the unit packets, and the information message must appear on the bottom part of the other lateral surface. These health warnings must have a width of not less than 20 mm.

For packets in the form of a shoulder box with a hinged lid that result in the lateral surfaces being split into two when the packet is open, the general warning and the information message must appear in their entirety on the larger parts of those split surfaces. The general warning must also appear on the inside of the top surface that is visible when the packet is open. The lateral surfaces of this type of packet must have a height of not less than 16 mm.

For cylindrical packets, the general warning must appear on the outside surface of the lid and the information message on the inside surface of the lid.

For pouches of waterpipe tobacco, the general warning and the information message must appear on the surfaces that ensure the full visibility of those warnings.

For pouches of roll-your-own tobacco, the general warning and the information message must appear on the surfaces that ensure the full visibility of those health warnings according to:

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1735 on the precise position of the general warning and the information message on roll-your-own tobacco marketed in pouches (eur-lex.europa.eu)

The general warning and the information message must:

• Cover 50 percent of the surfaces on which they are printed. The dimension of the general warning must be calculated in relation to the surface concerned when the packet is closed.
• Be at the centre of the surface reserved for them, and on cuboid packets and any outside packaging be parallel to the lateral edge of these packaging.
• Be printed in black Helvetica bold type on a white background.
• Use the font size that ensures that the text occupies the greatest possible proportion of the surface reserved for the general warning.
• Be surrounded by a black border of a width of 1 mm inside the surface area that is reserved for the general warning.
• Be irremovably printed and indelible as well as remain intact when opening the unit packet.
• Be fully visible, including not being partially or totally hidden or interrupted by other features, marks or stamps. The warning may in no way hide or interrupt other features, marks or stamps.

Each unit packet and any outside packaging for cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco or waterpipe tobacco must use combined health warnings in Swedish. These warnings are grouped into three sets; each set includes fourteen different warnings. Each set must be used in a given year and be rotated on an annual basis. Each combined health warning available for use in a given year must to the extent possible be displayed in equal numbers on each brand of cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco or waterpipe tobacco.

The combined health warnings must:

• Contain one of the text warnings and a corresponding colour photograph specified in the picture library.
• Cover 65 percent of both the external front and back of the packaging. Cylindrical packets must display two combined health warnings, equidistant from each other, each covering 65 percent of their respective half of the curved surface. The dimensions of the warnings must be calculated in relation to the surface concerned when the packet is closed.
• Show the same text warning and corresponding colour photograph on both sides of the packaging.
• Appear at the top edge of the packaging, and be positioned in the same direction as any other information appearing on that surface of the packaging.
• Include smoking cessation information, with contact information, that refers to the Sluta-Röka-Linjen, for example: Sluta-Röka-Linjen: 020-84 00 00 www.slutarokalinjen.se
• Be reproduced according to Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1842.
• Be irremovably printed and indelible. The warnings must remain intact when opening the unit packet other than packets with a flip-top lid, where the warnings may be split when opening the packet, but only in a manner that ensures the graphical integrity and visibility of the text, photographs and cessation information.
• Be fully visible, including not being partially or totally hidden or interrupted by other features, marks or stamps. The warnings may in no way hide or interrupt other features, marks or stamps.

Non-binding document that displays the combined health warnings in Swedish (health.ec.europa.eu)

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1842 on the technical specifications for the layout, design and shape of the combined health warnings (eur-lex.europa.eu)

• Chapter 3 Section 1 of the Act (2018:2088) on Tobacco and Similar Products.
• Chapter 3 Section 1 of the Decree (2019:223) on Tobacco and Similar Products.
• Chapter 1 Section 1–4, 6–10 and Chapter 4 of the Public Health Agency of Sweden's regulations on the Design of Health Warnings and the Placement of Health Warnings on the Packaging of Tobacco Products, HSLF-FS 2016:46.

Each unit packet and any outside packaging for smokeless tobacco products must use the following health warning in Swedish:

The health warnings must:

• Appear on the two largest external surfaces of the packaging.
• Cover 30 percent of the area of the corresponding surface of the packaging. The dimensions of the warning must be calculated in relation to the surface concerned when the packet is closed.
• Be parallel to the main text on the surface reserved for the warning.
• Be at the centre of the surface reserved for the warning, and on cuboid packets and any outside packaging be parallel to the lateral edge of these packaging.
• Be printed in black Helvetica bold type on a white background.
• Use the font size that ensures that the text occupies the greatest possible proportion of the surface reserved for the warning.
• Be surrounded by a black border of a width of 1 mm inside the surface area that is reserved for the warning.
• Be irremovably printed and indelible as well as remain intact when opening the unit packet. The warnings on unit packets may be affixed by means of stickers, provided that such stickers are irremovable.
• Be fully visible, including not being partially or totally hidden or interrupted by other features, marks or stamps. The warnings may in no way hide or interrupt other features, marks or stamps.

Picture 9. Illustration of the health warning for smokeless tobacco products.

Please note that the two largest surfaces (picture 10) vary based on the size and proportions of the package.

Picture 10. Illustration of the health warnings on a cylinder-shaped unit package smokeless tobacco products.

Two examples (picture 11) that illustrates the placement of the health warning on the packaging's banner for a cylinder-shaped unit package.

Picture 11. Illustration of the health warnings on the packaging's banner for a cylinder-shaped unit package for smokeless tobacco products.

Two examples (picture 12) that illustrates the placement of the health warning on the bottom or lid of a cylinder-shaped unit package.

Picture 12. Illustration of the health warnings on the bottom or lid for a cylinder-shaped unit package for smokeless tobacco products.

Please note that the health warning (picture 13) can be placed in two positions because it must be parallel to the lateral edge of the package and parallel to the main text, and that the two largest surfaces of the package vary based on the size and proportions of the package.

Picture 13. Illustration of health warnings on a cuboid packet for smokeless tobacco products.

• Chapter 3 Section 1 of the Act (2018:2088) on Tobacco and Similar Products.
• Chapter 3 Section 1 of the Decree (2019:223) on Tobacco and Similar Products.
• Chapter 1 Section 1–4, 6–10, Chapter 3 and Chapter 5 Section 1 of the Public Health Agency of Sweden's regulations on the Design of Health Warnings and the Placement of Health Warnings on the Packaging of Tobacco Products, HSLF-FS 2016:46.

Health warnings for tobacco products for smoking include a general warning with reference to the smoking cessation services and a text warning.

Examples of tobacco products for smoking are cigars, cigarillos and pipe tobacco. Please note that packaging for cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco and waterpipe tobacco must instead be provided with combined health warnings.

Each unit packet and any outside packaging for tobacco products for smoking must use the following general warning, including a reference to the smoking cessation information, in Swedish:

The general warning must:

• Appear on the most visible external surface of the packaging.
• Cover 30 percent of the relevant surface of the packaging. If the surface exceeds 150 square centimeter, the general warning must cover an area of 45 square centimeter. The dimension of the general warning must be calculated in relation to the surface concerned when the packet is closed.
• Be parallel to the main text on the surface reserved for general warning.
• Be at the centre of the surface reserved for them, and on cuboid packets and any outside packaging be parallel to the lateral edge of these packaging.
• Be printed in black Helvetica bold type on a white background.
• Use the font size that ensures that the text occupies the greatest possible proportion of the surface reserved for the general warning.
• Be surrounded by a black border of a width of not less than 3 mm and not more than 4 mm. The border must appear outside the surface reserved for the general warning.
• Be irremovably printed and indelible as well as remain intact when opening the unit packet. The warning on unit packets may be affixed by means of stickers, provided that such stickers are irremovable.
• Be fully visible, including not being partially or totally hidden or interrupted by other features, marks or stamps. The warning may in no way hide or interrupt other features, marks or stamps.

Each unit packet and any outside packaging for tobacco products for smoking must use one of the fourteen below variants of the text warning in Swedish. Please note that each one of the fourteen text warnings must to the extent possible be used in equal numbers on each brand of tobacco product for smoking:

The text warning must:

• Appear on the next most visible external surface of the packaging. Please note that on unit packets with a hinged lid, the second most visible surface is the one that becomes visible when the package is open. That is, the inside of the lid.
• Cover 40 percent of the relevant surface of the packaging. If the surface exceeds 150 square centimeter, the text warning must cover an area of 45 square centimeter. The dimension of the text warning must be calculated in relation to the surface concerned when the packet is closed.
• Be parallel to the main text on the surface reserved for the text warning.
• Be at the centre of the surface reserved for the text, and on cuboid packets and any outside packaging be parallel to the lateral edge of these packaging.
• Be printed in black Helvetica bold type on a white background.
• Use the font size that ensures that the text occupies the greatest possible proportion of the surface reserved for the text warning.
• Be surrounded by a black border of a width of not less than 3 mm and not more than 4 mm. The border must appear outside the surface reserved for the text warning.
• Be irremovably printed and indelible as well as remain intact when opening the unit packet. The warning on unit packets may be affixed by means of stickers, provided that such stickers are irremovable.
• Be fully visible, including not being partially or totally hidden or interrupted by other features, marks or stamps. The warning may in no way hide or interrupt other features, marks or stamps.

Picture 14. Illustration of the general warning including a reference to the smoking cessation information for tobacco products for smoking.

Picture 15. Illustration of one of the fourteen variants of the text warning for tobacco products for smoking.

Picture 16. Illustration of the health warnings on a cylinder-shaped unit package for tobacco products for smoking.

Please note that the health warning (picture 17) is parallel to the lateral edge of the package.

Picture 17. Illustration of health warnings on a cuboid packet for tobacco products for smoking.

Please note that the health warning (picture 18) is parallel to the lateral edge of the package.

Picture 18. Illustration of health warnings on a cuboid packet with a removable lid for tobacco products for smoking.

Please note that the health warning (picture 19) is parallel to the lateral edge of the package, and that on unit packets with a hinged lid, the next most visible surface is the one that becomes visible when the packet is open.

Picture 19. Illustration of health warnings on a cuboid packet with a hinged lid for tobacco products for smoking.

Picture 20. Illustration of health warnings on a tubular unit packet for tobacco products for smoking.

Picture 21. Illustration of the text warning on the lid of a tubular unit packet for tobacco products for smoking.

• Chapter 3 Section 1 of the Act (2018:2088) on Tobacco and Similar Products.
• Chapter 3 Section 1 of the Decree (2019:223) on Tobacco and Similar Products.
• Chapter 2 of the Public Health Agency of Sweden's regulations on the Health Warning and the Reporting of Ingredients for Herbal Products for Smoking, HSLF-FS 2016:44.

Each unit packet and any outside packaging for herbal products for smoking must use the following health warning in Swedish. Please note that the health warning ends with a period:

The health warnings must:

• Be printed on the front and back external surface of the packaging.
• Cover 30 percent of the area of the corresponding surface of the packaging.
• Be at the centre of the surface reserved for the warning, and on cuboid packets and any outside packaging be parallel to the lateral edge of these packaging.
• Be printed in black Helvetica bold type on a white background.
• Use the font size that ensures that the text occupies the greatest possible proportion of the surface reserved for the warning.

Please note that the health warning (picture 22) ends with a period and that the health warning has no border.

Picture 22. Illustration of the health warning for herbal products for smoking.

Please note that the health warning (picture 23) is parallel to the lateral edge of the package.

Picture 23. Illustration of health warnings on a cuboid packet for herbal products for smoking.

Picture 24. Illustration of health warnings on a pouch for herbal products for smoking.

Chewing tobacco – A smokeless tobacco product exclusively intended for the purpose of chewing.

Combined health warning – A health warning consisting of a combination of a text warning and a corresponding photograph or illustration.

Electronic cigarette – A product that can be used for consumption of nicotine-containing vapour via a mouth piece, or any component of that product, including a cartridge, a tank and the device without cartridge or tank. The product can be disposable or refillable by means of a refill container and a tank, or rechargeable with single use cartridges.

Health warning – A warning concerning the adverse effects on human health of a product or other undesired consequences of its consumption, including text warnings, combined health warnings, general warnings and information messages.

Nasal tobacco – A smokeless tobacco product that can be consumed via the nose.

Outside packaging – Any packaging in which products are placed on the market and which includes a unit packet or an aggregation of unit packets. Transparent wrappers are not regarded as outside packaging.

Refill container – A receptacle that contains a nicotine-containing liquid, which can be used to refill an electronic cigarette.

Smokeless tobacco product – A tobacco product not involving a combustion process. This includes chewing tobacco, nasal tobacco and tobacco for oral use.

Tobacco for oral use – All tobacco products for oral use, except those intended to be inhaled or chewed, made wholly or partly of tobacco, in powder or in particulate form or in any combination of those forms, particularly those presented in sachet portions or porous sachets. This type of tobacco product is what we in Sweden call “snus”.

Tobacco free nicotine product – A product without tobacco that contains nicotine for consumption.

Tobacco products for smoking – Tobacco products other than a smokeless tobacco product.

Unit packet – The smallest individual packaging of a product that is placed on the market.

1. Act on Tobacco Free Nicotine Products (SFS 2022:1257) [Internet]. Stockholm: The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs [cited 2023 Dec 1]. Available from: https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/lag-20221257-om-tobaksfria-nikotinprodukter_sfs-2022-1257/
2. Act on Tobacco and Similar Products (SFS 2018:2088) [Internet]. Stockholm: The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs [cited 2023 Dec 1]. Available from: https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/lag-20182088-om-tobak-och-liknande-produkter_sfs-2018-2088/
3. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1735 of 24 September 2015 on the precise position of the general warning and the information message on roll-your-own tobacco marketed in pouches (OJ L 252, 29.9.2015, p. 49–55) [Internet]. Bryssel: Commission [cited 2023 Dec 1]. Available from: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2015/1735/oj
4. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1842 of 9 October 2015 on the technical specifications for the layout, design and shape of the combined health warnings for tobacco products for smoking (OJ L 267, 14.10.2015, p. 5–10) [Internet]. Bryssel: Commission [cited 2023 Dec 1]. Available from: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2015/1842/oj
5. Decree on Tobacco Free Nicotine Products (SFS 2022:1263) [Internet]. Stockholm: The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs [cited 2023 Dec 1]. Available from: https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/forordning-20221263-om-tobaksfria_sfs-2022-1263/
6. Decree on Tobacco and Similar Products (SFS 2019:223) [Internet]. Stockholm: The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs [cited 2023 Dec 1]. Available from: https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/forordning-2019223-om-tobak-och-liknande_sfs-2019-223/
7. The Public Health Agency of Sweden's regulations on the Design of Health Warnings and the Placement of Health Warnings on the Packaging of Tobacco Products (HSLF-FS 2016:46) [Internet]. Stockholm: The National Board of Health and Welfare [cited 2023 Dec 1]. Available from: https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/publikationer-och-material/publikationsarkiv/f/folkhalsomyndighetens-foreskrifter-hslf-fs-2016-46/
8. The Public Health Agency of Sweden's regulations on the Health Warning and the Reporting of Ingredients for Herbal Products for Smoking (HSLF-FS 2016:44) [Internet]. Stockholm: The National Board of Health and Welfare [cited 2023 Dec 1]. Available from: https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/publikationer-och-material/publikationsarkiv/f/folkhalsomyndighetens-foreskrifter-hslf-fs-2016-44/
9. The Public Health Agency of Sweden's regulations on Tobacco Free Nicotine Products (HSLF-FS 2023:24) [Internet]. Stockholm: The National Board of Health and Welfare [cited 2023 Dec 1]. Available from: https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/publikationer-och-material/publikationsarkiv/f/folkhalsomyndighetens-foreskrifter-hslf-fs-2023-24/