Green light for plain packaging in Ireland

Irish lawmakers have passed legislation mandating plain packaging for tobacco products. The bill is expected to be signed into law by Ireland’s president after a technical vote in the upper house next week.

Scheduled to take effect in May 2017, the new law will ban all tobacco branding, including logos and colors, and require tobacco products to have a uniform packaging with graphic health warnings.

“We are creating legislation which will be historic and will be of real importance to the area of public health,” the Minister for Children, James Reilly, told parliament. “We are on the verge of being the first country in the EU to pass a law on plain packaging.”

JTI Ireland said it would take legal action if the legislation is enacted. “We have made our views known to the government many times so they should come as no surprise,” a JTI Ireland representative said after the vote. “If this proceeds we will go to court to protect our rights.”

Reilly signaled the government would proceed regardless. “We in this house will not be intimidated by such action,” he said. “We will pass such laws as we believe to be correct,”

Ireland is the second country to require plain packaging. Australia introduced similar legislation in 2012. Britain is also considering plain packaging.