Less than twenty four hours after the new legislation about plain packaging is signed into law, three tobacco companies, Japan Tobacco International, Philip Morris and Imperial Tobacco, have all submitted written documentation to the Government through three different legal firms.
Children’s Minister Dr James Reilly, who was the instigator of the new legislation when he was Minister for Health, has confirmed that the state is ready to go to court on the issue if necessary.
Ireland is the first European country to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products.