Coalition urged to follow tobacco brand ban

The Government has been urged to follow Australia’s example and strip branding from cigarette packs.

The Irish Cancer Society said it welcomed the decision by Australia’s High Court to back tough anti-tobacco laws on packaging. From Dec 1, all cigarettes on sale in Australia will be in olive coloured packets showing cancer-riddled mouths, blinded eyeballs, and sick children. The court’s decision follows a major test case between tobacco companies and anti-smoking campaigners.

The Australian government, which has urged other countries to adopt similar anti-smoking laws, wants to make smoking as unglamorous as possible.