Standardised tobacco packaging receives government thumbs-up

The government has revealed that it is minded to introduce regulations that would pave the way for standardised packaging of tobacco products, subject to a short consultation.

This comes after Sir Cyril Chantler recently presented the report of an independent review making a case that the introduction of standardised packaging would be likely to have an effect on public health, particularly for children.

It concluded that branded packaging plays a key role in encouraging young people to smoke, and that standardised packs would result in a "modest but important" reduction in smoking rates.

The Department of Health will now publish its consultation by the end of April 2014 to canvass further opinions on the legal change, as well as providing stakeholders with an opportunity to preview the draft legislation.

Public health minister Jane Ellison said: "As a nation therefore we should consider every effective measure we can to stop children taking up smoking in the first place."

The move has been welcomed by Cancer Research UK, which believes this change will make a significant contribution to public health.