Rabat – Morocco’s Administration of Customs and Indirect Taxes announced new provisions relating to the management of raw and manufactured tobacco, which will enter into force in January 2024.
The law reinforces the necessity for tobacco companies to declare clear percentages of chemicals such as tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide on cigarette packages.
The emission rates of cigarettes imported or manufactured in Morocco and marketed across the country should be at levels not exceeding 10 milligrams of tar per cigarette, 1 milligram of nicotine per cigarette, and 10 milligrams of carbon monoxide per cigarette, according to the new provisions.
The percentages of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide are measured on the basis of NM ISO 4387 standards for tar, NM ISO 10315 for nicotine, and NM ISO 8454 for carbon monoxide. The accuracy of the percentages of tar and nicotine is verified according to the standard NM ISO 8243.
Per the recently issued decree, the Department of Customs and Indirect Taxes is charged with monitoring the percentages of these substances. It can also resort to conducting the necessary tests in accredited laboratories.
These requirements will come into force on January 1, 2024. By that date, cigarettes that do not comply with these requirements may not be marketed or released for consumption in Morocco.
The primary objective of this new decree is to align national legislation with international standards in terms of maximum limits of the above-mentioned chemicals.
Morocco’s smoking prevalence is estimated at 18% among Moroccans aged 15 and over, with nearly 41% of the country’s population exposed to secondhand smoke.
The country is considered to be home to the largest population of tobacco consumers in the Mediterranean area, with more than 15 billion estimated to consume cigarettes annually.
According to data from 2018, 31.5% of men and 3.3% of women are regular smokers worldwide. The figures indicate that lung cancer diagnosis is on the rise, with 90% of lung cancer cases traced back to tobacco. Tobacco is also responsible for 25% of coronary insufficiencies including heart attacks.
