Ireland plans to adopt plain packaging of cigarettes

Ireland plans to become the second country in the world to ban all branding on cigarette packets following a decision on Tuesday to introduce a law forcing tobacco companies to use plain packaging.

Health chiefs lauded the move as a vital tool to combat youth smoking, while tobacco companies warned removing all logos, trademarks and colours from packs would benefit criminals involved in illegal smuggling.

“While many arguments will be made against such an introduction, I am confident that this legislation will be justified and supported purely by the fact that it will save lives,” said James Reilly, Ireland’s health minister.

He said he expected the legislation to be enacted by the Irish parliament early next year.

Australia introduced the world’s first plain packaging law in December when it replaced corporate logos on packs with drab olive green coverings decorated with gruesome pictures depicting the health risks of smoking. Earlier this year New Zealand and Scotland also announced plans to phase out branding on cigarette packages, although neither country has set a definitive timeframe for introducing plain packaging yet.

The move by Dublin follows an intensification of a global battle between Big Tobacco and health campaigners over several tough new measures designed to curb smoking.

British American Tobacco, Britain’s Imperial Tobacco, Philip Morris and Japan Tobacco lost a legal bid to block the introduction of plain packaging legislation in Australia last year.

However, a challenge was recently lodged at the World Trade Organisation by four tobacco producing countries – Ukraine, Honduras, Cuba and the Dominican Republic – which allege Canberra’s ban on branding breaches trade rules on international property rights.

“Destroying the fabric of trademarks, high-quality brands, and geographical indications, the reputations of which took decades to develop, is not an effective way to reduce smoking,” said the Dominican Republic in a statement this month.

Ireland, where almost one in three people smoke, was the first EU state to introduce a ban on smoking in the workplace in 2004. Dublin followed up with bans on packets of 10 cigarettes, in-store tobacco advertising and displays of tobacco products at retail outlets in 2009. Mr Reilly is also considering introducing a ban on smoking in cars which have children as passengers.

Tobacco companies said there was no credible evidence to suggest plain packaging would reduce youth smoking rates.

“Any proposals to unjustifiably take away our intellectual property will only serve the interests of criminal gangs and counterfeiters,” said John Freda, general manager of JTI, the owner of Benson and Hedges.

“Plain packaging will make it easier for the underworld to manufacture fakes, putting money in the pockets of criminals and taking money out of the tills of shopkeepers across Ireland,” he said.

Tobacco smuggling is a growing industry in Ireland, with almost one in five cigarettes smoked illegally smuggled into the country.

A political controversy erupted in Ireland earlier this month when it was revealed that tobacco company executives met the Irish prime minister, minister for finance and justice minister to lobby privately against the proposed law.

Earlier this month the UK abandoned plans to introduce plain packaging law, with the coalition instead deciding to focus on core policies when it outlined its legislative agenda. The decision prompted questions about the role of Conservative party adviser Lynton Crosby, whose consultancy had advised the tobacco industry in Australia on ways to fight off similar regulations.

Source The Financial Times