A bill mandating the disclosure of harmful substances in cigarettes will take effect from next year.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on the 6th that they have proposed legislation for the enforcement rules and regulations of the Tobacco Harm Management Act, which requires harmful substances in cigarettes to be tested within one month of their release.
The establishment of these enforcement rules is in accordance with the Tobacco Harm Management Act enacted in 2023, which is set to be implemented in November this year. The law includes provisions for testing harmful substances in cigarettes, information disclosure, and designation and management of testing institutions. Accordingly, cigarette manufacturers and importers must have their products tested for harmful substances every two years and disclose the results to the entire population.
Cigarette manufacturers and importers must undergo harmful substance testing within three months from the enforcement of the law this November. They must submit the test results to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety within 15 days from the date of receiving the report. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will disclose the related information on its website annually at the end of the year, with the first disclosure scheduled for the second half of next year.
Newly launched cigarettes must be tested within one month of their sale commencement. The testing institution will be designated by the Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety after reviewing the testing capabilities of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Procedures for the detailed operation of the 'Tobacco Harm Management Policy Committee', which governs the disclosure of harmful substance information, have also been established. To prevent conflicts of interest in the tobacco industry, individuals who have received support or direct or indirect benefits from related corporations may be excluded from the committee.
Additionally, procedures for establishing a long-term (5-year) basic plan and a short-term (1-year) implementation plan for tobacco harm management have also been included in the proposed legislation.
Oh Yu-kyung, Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, noted, "This is significant in that it will disclose information about harmful substances in cigarettes that has not been accurately known until now, and we will do our best to test and transparently disclose these substances based on scientific expertise."
Minister Cho Gyuhong said, "We will link the analysis results of harmful substances to smoking cessation policies and provide preventive measures and support services for smoking cessation to raise awareness."