Black or white unattractive?
Critics contend that plain packaging has done little to reduce smoking rate in Australia.
The government of Sri Lanka is planning to introduce a requirement that tobacco products are sold in standardized packaging, according to stories in The Daily News and The Times.
The Daily News reported that the Cabinet of Ministers had approved an amendment to the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act that would usher in packaging that, presumably with the exception of health warnings, would be in black and white.
The packs would bear only the name and quantity of the product, and information required by the government, such as health warnings.
Meanwhile, the Times story quoted Cabinet spokesman Dr, Rijitha Senaratne as saying that the standardized packaging would have to be in a single non-attractive color, such as white or black.