U.K. Postpones Plans for Plain Cigarette Packaging
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The U.K. government postponed plans to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes, saying it needs more time to assess the effect of a similar policy in Australia after a “highly polarized” reaction to the proposal.
“Of those who provided detailed feedback, some 53 percent were in favor of standardized packaging while 43 percent thought the government should do nothing about tobacco packaging,” Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a written statement to Parliament in London today. “Having carefully considered these differing views, the government has decided to wait until the emerging impact of the decision in Australia before we make a final policy on this decision in England.”