Yesterday the Irish government has
approved the drafting of legislation for generic packaging for tobacco,
which means that Ireland will be the second country in the world, after
Australia, to remove branding from tobacco product packaging. (Ireland's move to implement tobacco plain packaging must resonate in Brussels)
The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) just published a new Position Paper
on Revision of the Tobacco Products Directive. (see our earlier posts: Smokers beware and Smoke-free EU?) EPHA claims that tobacco
packaging is the main link between consumers and manufacturers and
recommends to the Commission the adoption of an EU rule on mandatory plain
packaging combined with health warnings (text and picture) that should
cover 80% of both front and back of tobacco packages. It supports Commission's plans to regulate other nicotine containing products, like e-cigarettes, and argues for the prohibition of online sale of tobacco products as well as the use of all additives, including flavourings.
