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On 3 March 2015, Ireland became the first country in the European Union (EU) to legislate for the plain packaging of tobacco products.1 Speaking at the vote Senator Paschal Mooney praised the legislation and commented on the opposition of the tobacco industry: “I want to compliment the Minister on holding fast and being resolute against very stiff opposition from…

In response to plain packaging proposals in the UK, the tobacco industry utilised the third party technique. It funded third party organisations which conducted anti-plain packaging campaigns on its behalf, commissioned research, expert opinion and public relations activities which supported its position, and built alliances with organisations that lobbied the UK Government…

In response to plain packaging proposals in the UK, the tobacco industry utilised the third party technique. It funded third party organisations which conducted anti-plain packaging campaigns on its behalf, built alliances with organisations that lobbied Government and mobilised public opposition, including and funding research, expert opinions and public relations (PR) activities…

Image 1. Influencers’ diagram, PMI Corporate Affairs Update, March 2012 (slide 12) As part of its toolbox of third-party techniques, which includes commissioning experts and funding third-party mass mobilisation campaigns, tobacco companies have built alliances more broadly with organisations with common interests. The tables presented on this page provide details of the anti-plain packaging activities…

In the UK, following the March 2011 announcement that the Government was to hold a public consultation on plain packaging for tobacco products, Imperial Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International (JTI), British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International (PMI) fought against the policy using a series of arguments which they publicised via: Their corporate…

Background The UK’s 2011 decision to consider introducing plain tobacco packaging precipitated a lengthy and hotly contested public and political debate which lasted until the policy’s implementation in May 2016. Research from the Tobacco Control Research Group published in BMJ Open in 2016 investigated which organisations opposed plain packaging in the three years around the…

On 26 June 2014 the UK Government published a second Consultation on the introduction of regulations for plain (standardised) packaging of tobacco products to run for six weeks until 7 August 2014. Image of proposed plain packs from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/323980/Image_of_standardised_pack_for_consultation.jpg UK Government website To explain how the policy would work, the consultation included a set of draft regulations with…

On 21 January 2015, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, Jane Ellison announced that the British government would introduce plain packaging regulations before the General Election in May 2015.447 Since the announcement, tobacco companies, their associates and supporters have publicly increased their campaign against plain packaging using arguments that there is no evidence it will…

Background Plain, or standardised packaging as it is formally known, refers to a policy which mandates the removal of all brand images, colours and messages from tobacco products. Tobacco products are instead packaged in the same size, shape, style and colour packaging (usually dark brown or green) with all brand names and variants in the same typeface and font size.

Consultation on Plain Packaging The manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products in the European Union is regulated by the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). See Industry Interference and the 2001 EU Tobacco Products Directive and EU Tobacco Products Directive Revision for more information on this legislation and the industry’s attempts to thwart it. On 24…