Legislation 'Could Harm Irish Exports', Claims Packaging Industry Spokesman

Mike Ridgway, spokesman for the Consumer Packaging Manufacturers Alliance (CPMA), has expressed concern that plain packaging legislation could negatively impact Irish business overseas, while at the same time drive illegal trade of cigarettes. Indonesia, a major cigarette producer, has retaliated to governments around the world introducing plain packaging, by threatening to ban alcohol branding. This could have severe impacts on the economy and job prospects of Ireland, said Ridgway. “Indonesia represents a market of nearly 250 million consumers and if they retaliate to plain pack cigarettes by adopting branding bans for alcohol, it would affect all alcohol products sold to Indonesia from anywhere in the world," he said. "Irish whiskey would be among those items to drop its branding and packaging for grotesque graphic health warnings.” Ridgway also noted that the introduction of plain packaging laws could make it harder to detect smugglers, which already costs the economy €250 million a year. Noting that Australia, the first country to enact plain packaging legislation, plans to undertake an impact assessment in December 2014, regarding the effectiveness of the measure, he said the Irish government should exercise caution before taking quick decisions. “Shouldn’t Ireland at least await the outcome of these before a final decision is made?” he said. © 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Stephen Wynne-Jones