NEWS

Ireland: Minister moves on plain packaging

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:03:06 +0000

Health Minister James Reilly has said he will bring a memorandum to Government shortly to provide for the introduction of plain packaging on tobacco products.

The Minister said under the proposal, cigarette packets would no longer have branded logos on them but would contain the graphic images and health warnings that already exist, with a small…

- Author: Christine White

US to redesign picture warnings following court decision

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:09:04 +0000

The federal government, facing a court-imposed deadline and fierce opposition from the tobacco industry, has decided to abandon its legal fight to require cigarette makers to place large, graphic labels on their products warning of the dangers of smoking.

The decision marks a setback for the Food and Drug Administration, which two years ago…

- Author: Christine White

Sri Lanka: Court rejects tobacco company's stay order on pictorial warnings

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:42:50 +0000

Sri Lanka's Court of Appeals today refused to issue a stay order sought by the major cigarette company in the country Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) to stop the government from labeling cigarette packets with graphic warnings.

The CTC filed the case at the Appellate Court challenging regulation made by the Minister of Health under the National…

- Author: Christine White

Thailand: Cigarette warning labels to get even bigger

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:03:19 +0000

The size of the warnings, which are dominated by scary photos that show the unhealthy consequences of smoking, will be expanded to cover 85 per cent of the pack, up from the current 55 per cent, Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong said yesterday.

After a meeting with national tobacco control board, Pradit said the board agreed to issue a…

- Author: Christine White

New Zealand: Government moves forward with plain packaging

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:54:27 +0000

The Government has decided it will bring in legislation to put tobacco products into plain packaging.

In April last year the Government had agreed 'in principle' to introduce a plain packaging regime in alignment with Australia pending the outcome of a public consultation process. The public consultation closed on 5 October 2012 and Cabinet…

- Author: Christine White

Ireland: Warnings over plans to ban cigarette logos

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:36:47 +0000

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been warned that plans to outlaw company logos on cigarette packets is an "assault" on brand owners' rights and would send "a troubling message" to Ireland's trading partners.

"We are highly concerned about the broader impact packaging standardisation requirements would have on the international trading system and…

- Author: Christine White

European Union: Proposed New Tobacco Directive - Bigger warnings and flavour ban

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:52:49 +0000

Today, after years in the making, the European Commission has adopted its proposal to revise the Tobacco Products Directive. The proposed legislation consists of new and strengthened rules on how tobacco products can be manufactured, presented, and sold. More specifically, it bans the use of cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco (RYO) and smokeless…

- Author: Christine White

India: Bill for plain tobacco packs

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:37:46 +0000

Days after Australia stripped glamour off cigarette packets by becoming the first country to make plain packaging of tobacco packs mandatory, the clamour for India to walk the same road has only got louder.

Lok Sabha MP Baijayant "Jay" Panda on Wednesday introduced a Private Members' Bill seeking plain packaging of tobacco products in India by…

- Author: Christine White

Canada: Federal goverment asks court to toss challenge over cigarette pack warnings

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 15:35:49 +0000

The federal government is urging an Ontario court to toss out a constitutional challenge launched by a tobacco company, saying any violation of freedom of expression over a requirement to include larger warnings on the surface of cigarette packages is justified.

In its new statement of defence, the government says the value of JTI-Macdonald's…

- Author: Christine White

India: Plain packaging under consideration

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:19:35 +0000

India is considering plain packaging of cigarettes in line with new Australian laws that ban all logos and brand descriptions, a top health official in New Delhi said on Wednesday.

Tobacco products in Australia will be sold in drab, uniform packaging with graphic health warnings from December in a ground-breaking move that has attracted…

- Author: Christine White