TNCO ceilings

The Tar, Nicotine and Carbon monoxide ceilings (or TNCO ceilings) are the average upper limits on total aerosol residue, nicotine and carbon monoxide contents of a cigarette, as measured on a smoking machine and according to a given set of ISO standards.[1] Because these refer to machine-generated yields rather than the average smoker's intake, these values have often been decried as misleading.[2]

A growing number of countries are nevertheless using such values as upper yield limitations for the cigarettes marketed under their jurisdiction.

Africa
CountryTarNicotineCOAs of
 Democratic Republic of the Congo151.5-2007 07
 Egypt152-2005 01
 Libya120.8- 
 South Africa121.2-2006 06

(All values in mg/cigarette and must be reported on packs.)

Most countries on the continent do not impose maximum values for either tar, nicotine or CO, but Burkina Faso, Benin, Cape Verde, Morocco nevertheless demand that yield values be reported on pack.

Americas
CountryTarNicotineCOAs of
 Honduras141.1-1995 11
 Brazil101102001 12

(All values in mg/cigarette and must be reported on packs.)

Whereas Ecuador prohibits the indication of TNCO yields, Canada, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and Peru require these values to be indicated without mandating upper limits. Canada demands values measured both with ISO standards and Health Canada's Intensive Method, as well as the yields for formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and benzene.

Asia & Pacific
CountryTarNicotineCOAs of
 Brunei151.3-2008 02
 China11--2013 01
 Hong Kong17--1999 07
 Macau201.5-1996 08
 Malaysia101.0101993 05
 Mongolia151.4--
 South Korea80.7--
 Singapore101.0-2013 03
 Taiwan121.2-2007 07
 Vietnam242.2-2007 03[3]

(All values in mg/cigarette and must be reported on packs (see exceptions below).)

Although many countries in the region do not impose formal ceilings, some still request that tar and nicotine yield values be indicated on the pack (India, Indonesia, Japan). In Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, on the other hand, measured values must only be reported to the government.


HARA<BE

Eastern Europe and former CIS
CountryTarNicotineCOAs of
 Albania101102007 05
 Armenia14[4]1.2-2005 12
 Belarus141.2--
 Croatia12---
 Georgia101-2005 04
 Kazakhstan14[4]1.2-2003 07
 Kyrgyzstan14[4]1.2-
 Macedonia101102008 03
 Moldova151.2-2008 01[5]
 Montenegro101102004 02
 Russia101102010 06
 Serbia14[6]1.4142007 01
 Turkmenistan161.4--
 Ukraine15[7]1.3-1997 07
 Uzbekistan161.4--

(All values in mg/cigarette and must be reported on packs.)

While Kosovo should soon enact regulation imposing ceilings, Bosnia-Herzegovina only requires tar and nicotine yields to be indicated, without imposing maximal values.

European Union/EFTA
CountryTarNicotineCOAs of
 Austria101102004 01
 Belgium101102004 01
 Bulgaria101102008 01
 Cyprus101102004 05
 Czech Republic101102004 05
 Denmark101102004 01
 Estonia101102006 06
 Finland101102004 01
 France101102004 01
 Germany101102004 01
 Greece101102007 01
 Hungary101102004 04
 Iceland101102004 01
 Ireland101102003 09
 Italy101102004 01
 Latvia101102004 10
 Liechtenstein101102004 10
 Lithuania101102004 06
 Luxembourg101102004 01
 Malta101102004 04
 Netherlands101102004 01
 Norway101102004 01
 Poland101102004 03
 Portugal101102004 01
 Romania101102007 01
 Slovakia101102006 07
 Slovenia101102004 01
 Spain101102004 01
 Sweden101102004 01
  Switzerland101102004 10
 United Kingdom101102003 09

(All values in mg/cigarette.)

Current regulations are based on European Union directive "2001/37" (PDF). (220 KiB). All yields must be indicated on the side of the pack with a minimum surface area of 10%, except for Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta (12%), Liechtenstein & Switzerland (15%) and Italy (20%).

The maximum levels have been previously limited to 15 mg tar (1992), then to 12 mg tar (01-1998), without maximum levels for nicotine and CO.

Middle East
CountryTarNicotineCOAs of
 Bahrain100.6121995 01
 Jordan101152004 01
 Kuwait100.6121995 01
 Oman100.6121995 01
 Palestinian Authority251.6-2005 07
 Qatar100.6121995 01
 Saudi Arabia100.6121995 01
 Syria131.110.52007 01
 Turkey121102007 01
 UAE100.6121995 01
 Yemen120.8-1995 01

(All values in mg/cigarette and must be reported on packs (see exceptions below.)

The Palestinian Authority and Yemen do not require tar and nicotine values to be indicated on the packs' side.

Notes and references
  1. ISO methods 3308 (general conditions), 4387 (tar), 8454 (CO) and 10315 (nicotine).
  2. WHO Scientific Advisory Committee on Tobacco Product Regulation. Recommendation on Health Claims Derived from ISO/FTC Method to Measure Cigarette Yield. 2002
  3. Tar/Nicotine ceilings will be gradually lowered in two-year intervals from 22/2 mg on March 17, 2008, to 16/1.4 mg on March 17, 2014
  4. For filter cigarettes. Non filter: 16 mg tar and 1.3 mg nicotine
  5. According to the Ministry of Agriculture Draft Law, the Max. Yield of Tar/Nicotine/CO for filter cigarettes suggested to be as follows: as of 01.01.2008 - 15/1,2 (+CO regulated); as of 01.01.2010 - 12/1,0/14; as of 01.01.2012 - 10/1,0/10 respectively.
  6. As of January 2008 respective T/N/CO ceilings will be 12.0, 1.3, 13.0; as of January 2009 10.0, 1.2, 12.0; as of January 2010 10.0, 1.1, 11.0; as of January 2011 10.0, 1.0, 10.0.
  7. Ceiling values in Ukraine to be lowered to 12 mg and 1.2 mg/cigarette for tar and nicotine, respectively, as of Jan. 1, 2009

See also
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