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Pledge on cigarette packaging law

The Government will bring in legislation to introduce standardised plain cigarette packaging before the end of this Parliament, health minister Jane Ellison has announced.

The ban on smoking in private cars with children will come into force on October 1 of this year, the minister also announced.

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Plain packaging will help 'eradicate the marketing power' of tobacco firms

Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the British Medical Association, has welcomed the forthcoming legislation on cigarette packaging and called on the rest of the UK to "follow suit":

It is pleasing to see that the Government has listened to our repeated calls for branding to be removed from tobacco products, and has made the long-awaited and welcome the move to introduce standardised packaging.

We know that children and young people who recognise brand images including packaging, are far more likely to start smoking and become part of the tragic statistics of tobacco harm.

Generic packaging will help to eradicate the marketing power for tobacco companies, and research suggests it will help increase the impact of health warnings.

– Dr Mark Porter, British Medical Association

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