The Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco products) Regulations 2022, issued under the Public Health Act, was promulgated in June 2022. This new regulation requires packaging of tobacco products to be standardised in shape, material, texture, and colour, with a standard opening. Brand and variant names may only appear in a standard font, with no other branding, logos or promotion permitted.

The regulation further specifies strong requirements for combined written and pictorial health warnings, which must cover 80% of the front principal display area and 100% of the back principal display area of the package of cigarettes (except for cigarettes sold in the duty-free shops of departure lobby at the airport). The warning on the front of the package must be written in French and the warning on the back in English. The eight combined text/pictorial health warnings must be rotated during a period of 12 months, such that every variant in the brand displays one health warning at a time. “Smoking kills” (English) must be written on one lateral side of the package and “La cigarette tue” (French) on the other side, occupying 70% of the surface area.

For cigarettes sold in duty-free shops of the departure lobby, combined warnings must cover 60% of the front (in French) and 70% of the back (in English) of the package, with the lateral warnings covering 65% of the surface area. For cigars, cigarillos and pipe tobacco, one text warning must be displayed both in English and French.

The Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco products) Regulations 2022 further prohibit the manufacture, import, distribution, and sale of several products, including: 
I.    waterpipes and tobacco products for use in connection with a waterpipe, except for hotels, rated four stars and above;
II.    Electronic Nicotine-Delivery Systems (ENDS) and Electronic Non-Nicotine-Delivery Systems (ENNDS);
III.    e-liquids, devices and accessories sold or marketed for use in or with ENDS/ENDDS;
IV.    a tobacco product with a characterising flavour, including menthol;
V.    smokeless tobacco products;
VI.    heated tobacco products (HTPs);
VII.    Roll-Your-Own tobacco products, including paper, filter, and any other accessory; and
VIII.    products (e.g., accessories, devices, pouches) designed to detract from standardised packaging or health warnings.

The regulations were subsequently amended to provide for a moratorium for cigarette importers to implement plain packaging of cigarettes (see the Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco Products) (Amendment) Regulations 2022). Following the requirements of the Amendment, the Regulations came into force on 31 May 2023.

Mauritius has become the first African country to fully implement the WHO's package of tobacco control measures aimed at reducing tobacco use and related deaths, known as MPOWER.

For more information, please, contact Miss Damini Mohur, WHO FCTC focal point in Mauritius (mohwmur.tobacco@gmail.com).