Ireland’s plain packaging rules signed into law

Ireland’s President Michael D. Higgins has signed into law the country’s standardized tobacco packaging legislation.

According to an RTE story relayed by the TMA, cigarette manufacturers will be required, from May 2016, to produce cigarettes for the Irish market in standardized packaging.

From May 2017 only cigarettes in standardized packaging will be allowed to be sold on the Irish market.

Ireland is the second country after Australia to bring in such legislation.

In Australia, standardized packaging has been a requirement since December 2012.

Tobacco manufacturers have threatened to take the Irish government to court over the new requirements.