The Cabinet has approved Minister James Reilly's plain packaging proposals for tobacco products, which if enacted, will make Ireland the first country in the European Union to introduce the measure.
“This represents a significant step forward in our tobacco control policy and our goal of being a smoke free country by 2025," Minister Reilly said in a statement.
The Bill, which now moves to the Seanad, seeks to control the design and appearance of tobacco products. It will remove all forms of branding including trademarks, logo, colours and graphics from packs, except for the brand and variant name which will be presented in a uniform typeface.
"The introduction of standardised packaging will remove the final way for tobacco companies to promote their deadly product in Ireland," the Minister continued. "Cigarette packets will no longer be a mobile advertisement for the tobacco industry”.
A recent study in Australia, the first country to introduce the measure, found that cigarette sales in Australia have increased since the introduction of plain packaging, with Australians purchasing 59 million more cigarettes and roll-your-own equivalents in the year following the introduction of the legislation.
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