Government To Introduce Laws On Plain Packaging Before Election

The Government has tonight announced they will introduce legislation to bring in plain packaging on cigarettes before the General Election.

The Public Health Minister Jane Ellison announced to MPs that they will go ahead with the proposals to ban all forms of branding on tobacco products, although it will be up to politicians to decide how to vote.

But with some Tory MPs joining Labour and the Lib Dems firmly in favour of plain packaging it is likely to be passed even with a free vote.

Christopher Snowdon, Director of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, criticised the decision, saying:

“This is a gross infringement of the right of companies to use their trademarks and design their own packaging. There is no need to wonder what will happen next, we need only look at Australia where the black market has grown and youth smoking has risen. To pursue this grandstanding policy in spite of the Australian experience is sheer negligence.”

And UKIP Deputy Leader Paul Nuttall MEP told Breitbart London, “Plain packaging has not worked in Australia and it will not work here. It is a counterfeiter’s dream and it puts smokers’ lives at risk.”

The only other country who has brought this measure in is Australia where results have not been what the anti tobacco campaigners would like, including reports of an increase in black market cigarettes and people smoking stronger cigarettes.