France introduces plain cigarette packaging



PARIS: -- The French parliament has narrowly passed a law to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes . It’s in a bid to cut the number of its smokers, particularly among teenagers,

The new packaging will be introduced from May next year but the measure has sparked an outcry among tobacco companies which are threatening legal action.

Experts say removing branding on packets and adding large health warnings works.

Smoking is the main cause of death in France, with more than 70,000 people dying each year of tobacco-related illnesses.

EU laws already force tobacco firms to cover 65% of the packaging with health warnings, but Health Minister Marisol Touraine says from next year the rest of the packet will be “the same shape, same size, same colour, same typeset”.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-11-26

One week ago France embodied everything Daech hated : enjoyment of life on Earth, flirt, coffee, wine, smoking, bla bla bla...

Well 40 years ago maybe, now France is just like most countries, quickly catching up with Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians into making society look like a clinic, fighting everything that makes the "salt of life", over-regulating every pleasure in the name of health, hygien and dying old, of boredom.

Gitanes and Gauloises will not have the same element of "cool" with that packaging.It's hard to imagine Simone Signoret or Alain Delon with a pack.

I'm not sure a fag packet should be considered a French cultural icon.

Gitanes and Gauloises will not have the same element of "cool" with that packaging.It's hard to imagine Simone Signoret or Alain Delon with a pack.

They probably would have just transferred their smokes to a chic cigarette case.

Who needs a paper pack?

As a child I remember my uncle - a WWII GI who had spent time in Paris after the war - showing me a well worn leather case with Pig Alley Hoods carved in it.

The main cause of death in France, yet it's still legal.... but pot is not.

Makes sense to me.

The main cause of death in France, yet it's still legal.... but pot is not.

Makes sense to me.

Incredible isn't it? Not in any way criticizing tobacco users but the fact that tobacco products are still for sale world wide is nothing more than an active and powerful corruption lobbying campaign involving massive political donations for a product that if introduced today would most certainly be banned. And yet it goes on unabated. Funny how the bizarre seems normal depending on circumstances and profits.

One week ago France embodied everything Daech hated : enjoyment of life on Earth, flirt, coffee, wine, smoking, bla bla bla...

Well 40 years ago maybe, now France is just like most countries, quickly catching up with Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians into making society look like a clinic, fighting everything that makes the "salt of life", over-regulating every pleasure in the name of health, hygien and dying old, of boredom.

Well, I, for one, don't appreciate being compelled to inhale someone else's 'salt of life', even if you do.

One week ago France embodied everything Daech hated : enjoyment of life on Earth, flirt, coffee, wine, smoking, bla bla bla...

Well 40 years ago maybe, now France is just like most countries, quickly catching up with Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians into making society look like a clinic, fighting everything that makes the "salt of life", over-regulating every pleasure in the name of health, hygien and dying old, of boredom.

Well, I, for one, don't appreciate being compelled to inhale someone else's 'salt of life', even if you do.

And I don't appreciate smelly people, loud people, people making noise when they eat, tourists, babies, slow walkers, crocs and many other things, but I deal with it without asking laws to ban them. Though these people are usually less careful about those they may annoy then smokers are nowadays.

Its a stupid thing to do.

If you smoke the 16mg but devide you want to quit so want to buy 8mg then down to 2mg etc it makes it very difficult as plain packaging does not allow the strength to be put on the packets.

So as you maybe used to say a small strength you may find yourself smoking the strong ones making it worse for you.

Plain packaging and putting those pics on the packets does nothing to stop smokers or dter new smokers.

I find these pictorial deterrent cigarette packages quite repulsive.

Surely a packaging that insulted the purchaser would work better, or one that had a nagging loud voice each time it was opened.

An off topic post has been removed.

One week ago France embodied everything Daech hated : enjoyment of life on Earth, flirt, coffee, wine, smoking, bla bla bla...

Well 40 years ago maybe, now France is just like most countries, quickly catching up with Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians into making society look like a clinic, fighting everything that makes the "salt of life", over-regulating every pleasure in the name of health, hygien and dying old, of boredom.

Well, I, for one, don't appreciate being compelled to inhale someone else's 'salt of life', even if you do.

And I don't appreciate smelly people, loud people, people making noise when they eat, tourists, babies, slow walkers, crocs and many other things, but I deal with it without asking laws to ban them. Though these people are usually less careful about those they may annoy then smokers are nowadays.

Oh dear, a sensitive smoker, hit a nerve did he?

Why is it in English ? Thought the French pretty much hated anything non French.

It's unlikely but I hope your romantic dream becomes reality,instead of what the merchants of death by tobacco have planned for loyal customers,and believe me it's not romantic or indeed pleasant! smoking is only a pleasure until you get the checkbin! be warned!

Why is it in English ? Thought the French pretty much hated anything non French.

Yes, and they're full of prejudices too.