Jersey to introduce 'standardised' tobacco packaging

Jersey's States Assembly have agreed to change the rules on packaging of tobacco products.New regulations will see EU images replaced with UK images, ensuring standardised packaging that is not promotional.Standardised packaging removes all promotional aspects of packaging, including logos and colour.Since the UK left the EU, EU health warnings and imagery is no longer displayed in the UK.The Health Minister, Deputy Richard Renouf told the Assembly that one in six deaths in the island is directly attributable to smoking, and that branded packaging plays an important part in 'encouraging people to take up smoking.'Overall he said standardised packaging sought to realise four aims, namely to:- reduce the attractiveness of tobacco products and promotion- eliminate the effects of tobacco packaging as advertising- reduce package design techniques which may suggest less harm being caused by some products, and- increase the noticeability and effectiveness of health warningsIn 2012 Australia became the first country in the world to implement standardised packaging of tobacco products, before the UK followed suit in 2016.Guernsey approved the same change in May this year.There will be a transition period in place on cigarette and hand rolling products until 31st July 2022, where they were imported before 1st January 2022. Other tobacco products which would have complied with previous regulations, imported before 31st July 2022, can be supplied until 31st July 2023.New packaging will also include signposting to local Help 2 Quit stop smoking support services in Jersey and Guernsey.