The way cigarette packaging will be displayed in Irish shops and supermarkets will change from today onwards as the new law that requires all tobacco products to be sold in plain packaging officially comes into effect.
Under the new laws cigarette and tobacco manufacturers must produce all of thier products in plain white packaging with no logos embedded on either side of the packets.
It is understood the new measures which have been welcomed by anti-smoking campaign groups has been introduced in order to deglamourise smoking amongst young people.
However shopkeepers and supermarkets will have up to one year to sell current branded stock after which they will be forced to sell unbranded packaging or risk facing a hefty fine.
The new laws have been subject to much debate amongst smokers after they were officially passed under the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act back in March 2015.