United Kingdom to introduce plain packaging on tobacco packs

The United Kingdom will introduce plain packaging on tobacco packs after the members of both Houses of Parliament overwhelmingly approved this decision earlier this week. The law will come into effect in May 2016. 

Europe has become the leader of the plain packaging movement globally. Earlier this year, Ireland became the second country in the world and the first in Europe to pass a plain packaging legislation.  A number of other European countries such as France, Norway, Turkey, Finland are also on the way to introducing plain packaging.

As the first in the world, Australia introduced standardized packaging legislation more than two years ago, in December 2012.  Official statistics show that Australia's smoking rate is now at its lowest levels since records began and declining at the fastest rate in 20 years.