Plain Cigarette Packaging in UK Soon

The UK’s House of Lords approved regulations mandating plain packaging for cigarettes on Tuesday, just days after the House of Commons backed the measure. The move makes the United Kingdom the latest country to introduce such a policy, following Ireland, Australia, and Uruguay.

The UK regulations involve standardising the packaging in which cigarettes are sold, such as by limiting the packages to a uniform brown exterior and white interior. The same applies to hand rolling tobacco, according to a transcript of the House of Lords debate, though cigars and pipe tobacco would not be included.

Furthermore, the policy allows only “specified text” – such as the brand – in a standard font, and limits the packages to set shapes. The regulation does not change any of the existing labelling policies, including those regarding health warnings.

The measure passed in London this week will enter into effect in May 2016.

Growing trend

The UK decision came fast on the heels of Ireland’s own approval of similar legislation, which is set to be fully implemented by 2017.

One of the countries at the forefront of the international plain packaging debate has been Australia, which was among the first to approve such legislation back in late 2011. The policy took effect a year later in order to give tobacco companies time to make the necessary changes in their production methods.

Opponents, however, have noted conflicting data from other sources regarding the use of tobacco products, while also suggesting that tax hikes could be a factor in any smoking decreases in Australia. Some have also warned of the possibility of illicit tobacco trade in white cigarettes, as well as the ease of copying the plain packs, which could make it easier for illegal versions to enter the supply chain.

Over in Geneva, the Australian measure is facing legal challenges at the WTO from five of its trading partners – Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, and Ukraine – who have charged that the measure is unnecessarily trade-restrictive.

Australia’s Plain Packaging Act, the complainants say, effectively undermines the protections provided to trademarks and geographical indications under WTO rules, making it difficult for their premium products to stand out in the marketplace and thus hindering fair competition.

The five countries have referred in their respective complaints to provisions in the WTO’s rules on intellectual property and technical barriers to trade.

Other products to follow?

As the plain packaging debate continues over tobacco products, the possibility that this trend could spread to other industries – such as alcohol or unhealthy foods – has also been raised in public debate.