Standardised tobacco packaging to come into effect in September

Health Minister Simon Harris has today (Wednesday) announced that legislation for the standardised packaging of tobacco is to come into force in September.

This follows the signing of the commencement order today (Wednesday) by Minister Marcella Corcoran Kennedy for the standardised packaging provisions of the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act 2015.

The aim of standardised packaging is to make all tobacco packs look less attractive to consumers, to make health warnings more prominent, and to prevent packaging from misleading consumers about the harmful effects of tobacco.

The signing of this order means all tobacco products manufactured for sale in Ireland from September 30, 2017, must be in standardised retail packaging.

Products on the market before September 30 date will be permitted to stay on the market for a 12-month period (i.e. until September 30, 2018).

Standardised packaging means that all forms of branding – trademarks, logos, colours and graphics – are to be removed from tobacco packs.

The brand and variant names would be presented in a uniform typeface for all brands and the packs would all be in one plain neutral colour.  

Minister Harris said: “Smoking is a significant cause of ill-health in Ireland. Almost 6,000 people die from tobacco related disease and tobacco use.

“That is 6,000 families who go through the pain of losing a loved one when the stark reality is that these deaths are unnecessary and avoidable.

“It has been estimated to cost Irish society a total of €10.7 billion annually in healthcare, productivity and other costs.

“The Government is committed to changing that and standardised packaging of tobacco products is one such evidence-based measure that will assist in achieving our overarching goal of having Ireland tobacco free by 2025.'