Australia was the first country in the world to implement plain packaging. In April 2010, the Australian Government announced that all tobacco products sold in Australia would be required to be sold in plain packaging in 2012. In April 2011, the Australian Government released a draft of the proposed legislative bill. The Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2011 were approved by the Executive Council on December 7, 2011, and set out requirements for retail packaging and appearance of cigarettes only. On December 22, 2011, the Australian Government released draft regulations incorporating the proposed plain packaging specifications for non-cigarette products. As of December 1, 2012, all tobacco products in Australia were required to be sold in dull, brown packages, with no company logos and the same font for all brands.
The United Kingdom (UK), and France have now also approved plain packaging legislation, and will require plain packaging effective May 20, 2016. Plain packaging regulations were approved in the UK on March 16, 2015, and will apply to England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Plain packaging legislation was adopted in France on December 17, 2015 and came into force May 20, 2016 at the manufacturer level; the legislation was upheld on January 21, 2016 as constitutional by France’s Constitutional Council. Ireland’s plain packaging bill was enacted on March 10, 2015, and is awaiting a commencement date, intended for May 20, 2016.
Plain packaging is also under formal consideration in Norway, Hungary, Slovenia, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Africa.
Click here for an overview on international developments in plain packaging.
Loi de modernisation de notre système de santé [Law to modernize our health system], Decision n° 2015-727 DC
France
2016
Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill
New Zealand
2016
Consultation on the Introduction of Regulations for Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products (includes draft regulations)
United Kingdom
2014
Children and Families Act – Retail Packaging Section 94
United Kingdom
2014
Draft Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2012
Australia
2012
Tobacco Plain Packaging Amendment Regulation 2012
Australia
2012
Consultation on Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products
UK
2012
Equality Impact Assessment – Consultation on Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products
UK
2012
Impact Assessment – Consultation on Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products
UK
2012
Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011 – Exposure Draft
Australia
2011
Plain Packaging of Tobacco Products Consultation Paper
Australia
2011
Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011
Australia
2011
Plain Packaging Draft Regulations 2011
Australia
2011
Draft Compilation of Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2011
Australia
2011