Northern Ireland will be included in UK legislation to bring in plain packaging on tobacco products. Northern Ireland health minister Jim Wells said the region would be included in the UK Government's proposals for plain packaging, which is set to be voted on by MPs in Westminster before the General Election.
Speaking in the BBCs Evening Extra programme, Wells confirmed, "From 2016, all the packages will be plain brown, apart from a very stark health warning on them."
He went on to explain his stance against "glamorous packaging", particularly criticising designs aimed at young women, claiming, "They're designed to excite and designed to look as 'cool' when they're brandished by those who smoke."
He added that, "We want to discourage young people from taking up the habit, because what we do know is, for 80% of those who start smoking, start before the age of 18, and therefore we have to make smoking as uninteresting and as boring and dull as possible."
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan.
