A Growing Trend: Graphic Warnings On Cigarette Packages

The United States was the first country to introduce health warnings on cigarette packages all the way back in 1965. Today, however, it's lagging behind in the move to add prominent graphic labeling to tobacco products. The US does not force tobacco companies to add these warnings to their merchandise, compared to other countries like Canada and Australia which have some of the toughest restrictions in the world.

While Canada was the very first country to add pictorial warnings to cigarette boxes, Australia introduced plain brown packaging in 2012 with graphic warnings covering 75 percent of the front and 90 percent of the rear of packages. Since Canada made the initial move on pictorial warnings in 2001, the number of governments/jurisdictions requiring these ever more graphic and gruesome warnings has reached 70. By 2015, it's expected to increase further to 77.