Plain packaging domino effect predicted

Ireland could create a “domino effect” internationally by becoming the first country in Europe to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products, according to a story by Paul Cullen for The Irish Times quoting one of Australia’s leading public health experts.

Professor Mike Daube said the introduction of plain packaging in Ireland would have huge international implications because other countries were likely to follow Ireland’s lead.

“I cannot think of anything that could be done to tackle tobacco more effectively than Ireland introducing this measure,” said Daube of Curtain University, Perth, who chaired the Australian government’s committee that recommended plain packaging. “We showed it could be done, but we are a low-population country on the other side of the world.”

It was important the Irish government was not bullied out of proceeding by the “zombie arguments” of the tobacco industry, Daube told a meeting organized by the Irish Cancer Society in Dublin.

The full story is at: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/irish-plain-packaging-tobacco-law-can-create-domino-effect-1.1938927.