Scots to go it alone on standard packs

The Scottish government has said that it will press ahead with plans to require that cigarettes are sold in unattractive packs, according to a story in The Times.

It is understood that Scottish ministers want cigarettes to be sold in standardized packs along the lines of those found in Australia.

Since Dec. 1, Australia has required that all tobacco products be sold in packaging designed on behalf of the previous government to be as ugly as is possible. Packs are hugely dominated by graphic health warnings, are otherwise a standard olive color, have no logos or other design features, and have brand and variant names in a standardized font and position.

Earlier this year the U.K. government decided to hold off on any similar moves, but the Scottish government has said it will do what it needs to do, regardless of the situation elsewhere in the U.K.