Plans to introduce plan cigarette packaging are expected to be approved by ministers and could come into force by next year.
Plain Cigarette Packaging To Be Introduced By 2016
Introducing plans cigarette packaging is something that has been discussed for the last couple of years, and this would see the UK become on the second country in the world to introduce the measure.
Public health minister Jane Ellison has been pushing this initiative forward and has calling smoking one of the most 'significant public health challenges' that we face here in the UK. She said: "Smoking remains one of our most significant public health challenges.
"Almost 80,000 people in England alone die every year from ill-health related to smoking. Most smokers start young and we want our children to grow up free from the burden of disease that tobacco brings. Having considered all the evidence, I believe that the policy is a proportionate and justified response to the considerable public health harm from smoking tobacco."
While some right-win Conservatives have hit at the new plans calling it a nanny state measure the plans looks set to win the MP vote with Labour and the Liberal Democrats backing the new plan. Labour had already pledged to bring in plain cigarette packaging should they win the general election in May.
If the vote does go the way it is expected to, from May 2016, we will see cigarette in plain packaging that has been stripped of advertising and the health warning that are currently displayed.
This move - which has already been adopted in Australia - has been met well by health experts with Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health said: "We are delighted that the Government has resisted all the tobacco industry pressure and plans to pass the regulations that will bring standardised 'plain' packaging into effect, in this parliament.
"Every day hundreds of children start to smoke. Standard packs mean that the tobacco industry cannot use glitzy packaging to help addict the next generation."
The free vote for MPs on this issue is expected to take place before Parliament is dissolved ahead of the start of the general election campaign in April. The news on the introduction on plain packaging comes hand in hand with news that there will also be a ban on smoking in private cars that are carrying children. This new ban will come into force in October this year.
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