Plain Packaging Bill 2016

A bill to require tobacco products to be packaged in a plain white package containing no identifying marks other than the name of the product on them to deter brand loyalty and first time smoking.

BE IT ENACTED by The Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, in accordance with the provisions of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

1. Definitions

a) A point of sale is a business establishment where tobacco products are sold.

b) An advertisement at the point of sale is a document or form of media, containing the name of the tobacco product or of the company selling it.

c) A tobacco product is any type of product, which contains tobacco.

d) A roll of tobacco is a tobacco product wrapped in cigarette paper or similar substances.

2. Storage and display of tobacco products at the point of sale

a) A tobacco product must be concealed at the point of sale from the view of the public until a customer requests to purchase it.

b) No advertisements for tobacco products may be displayed within the premises of the point of sale.

3. General packaging and branding regulations for tobacco products

a) The only permitted color for the outside and inside of all packaging for other purposes than those outlined in sections 4 and 5 shall be hex #F0FFF0, also known as “honeydew”, with a matte finish.

b) A unit packet may not have any identifying features or marks other than those outlined in Section 4.

c) A roll of tobacco may not have any images, text or shapes, which could be used in the promotion of a brand.

4. Package branding regulations for rolls of tobacco

a) The only permitted packaging dimensions shall be 9 cm by 5,5 cm by 2,5 cm.

b) The outside of the packaging must be made of recyclable carton.

c) The front of a unit packet may only include images and text designed to deter smokers chosen by the Department of Health.

d) The back of a unit packet may only include product information for the rolls of tobacco, which must be displayed both in English and braille or blank space.

e) The remaining sides of a unit packet may only have the name of the product, the name of the manufacturer, the tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide levels, the number of cigarettes or cigars or the weight of tobacco, if it is loose tobacco, and a barcode. The barcode shall not form any symbol, image, picture or other device, which could be used to differentiate it from other brands.

f) The text on the remaining sides of the unit packet must not be higher than 0,5 cm, and must be in black uppercase standard arial.

g) The inside of a unit packet may not have any identifying features or marks, which could be used to differentiate it from other brands.

5. Packaging regulations for other tobacco products

a) The front of a unit packet may only include images and text designed to deter smokers. The images and text shall be chosen by the Department of Health.

b) The back of a unit packet shall include product information, which must be displayed both in English and braille and may also contain the name of the product and the manufacturer.

c) The inside of a unit packet may not have any identifying features or marks, which could be used to differentiate it from other brands.

6. Failure to comply

a) A person or company which supplies a tobacco product in breach of any provision of these regulations to a customer is guilty of an offence.

b) The penalty for an offence committed under the previous subsection shall be a fine not greater than £100 per unit packet.

c) A manufacturer or importer of tobacco products supplying products in breach of any provision of these regulations is guilty of an offence.

d) The penalty for an offence committed under subsection c shall be an unlimited fine.

e) A physical person importing tobacco products which are in breach of this act with the sole intent of personal use is not guilty of an offence.

7. Commencement & Short Title

a) This act extends to the whole of the United Kingdom.

b) This Act may be cited as the Plain Packaging Act 2016.

c) This Act will come into effect 6 months after passing.

This bill was written and submitted by /u/valttuuuuuuuuuu and /u/supersamuca with help from /u/rexrex600 on behalf of the 9th Official Opposition and the Liberal Democrats, and is sponsored by /u/thechattyshow and /u/roadtotheshow.

The voting period for this bill will end at 10PM BST on the 28th of September.

Vote Aye, No or Abstain. Comments with anything else will be deleted. Comments that are edited will be void and not counted.

If a member is voting by proxy, they must have gained permission from the speaker prior to this vote. If no permission was sought and granted, their vote will not be counted.

For full clarifications on the voting system see this post