January 15, 2019 - Israel's Parliament, the "Knesset," has passed new rules relating to the marketing and advertising of tobacco products. After months of debate, the rules were approved by Parliament and officially published on January 8, 2019.
"The Israeli Parliament is taking dramatic steps to change the smoking habits of Israelis," said David Wolberg, Partner of Kupferschmit & Goldstein in Tel Aviv, Israel. "The new rules are designed to prevent minors from becoming addicted to tobacco."
According to the new rules:
- Electronic cigarettes are defined as "smoking products" and are now subject to tobacco laws and regulations;
- Health warnings must comprise between 30%-65% of the package size (depending on the tobacco product);
- The remaining area of the packaging, for all brands, will be in one defined color, Pantone 448 C, described as "drab dark brown," and will include the brand name and details relating to the manufacturer and importer; and
- Subject to a few exceptions and qualifications, once the new rules take effect, advertising of tobacco products will become illegal. Advertisements will be allowed in printed matter only, subject to restrictions.
The new rules will take effect between March 2019 and January 2020.
"With strict new rules about tobacco marketing going into effect in Israel, now is the time for marketers to take the appropriate measures to ensure compliance," said Jeffrey A. Greenbaum, GALA's Chairman and Managing Partner of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz in New York.
