The British government’s Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced government plans that would ban the displaying of tobacco products in large shops and later, all shops starting in the month of April in the years 2012 and 2015 respectively for the good of public health. Also, plans may include laws that require tobacco products to be plainly packaged with health warnings on them in order to significantly reduce the promotion of smoking for adolescents. Great Britain also noted that there will be a ban on vending machines selling tobacco products later this year.

This announcement follows the Australian government’s plans to have tobacco products in plain packaging due next year and also Spain’s anti-smoking laws introduced earlier this year that prohibits smoking in almost all bars, restaurants, cafes, playgrounds and hospitals. Great Britain will be the first European Union member country if it implements a law that requires plain packages.

The tobacco industry has vehemently lashed out at these developments that it claims to be disrupting their business – of course, they’re correct.

British tobacco companies are planning to protest this display ban in court which is due to occur in the next couple of months. Tobacco companies claim that the government lacks evidence of their products endangering public health.

However, according to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, approximately 80,000 people in Britain die each year from smoking-related problems.

Furthermore, the companies say that promotion of tobacco products in the form of designed packaging does not have any effect on younger people.

Researchers say otherwise, according to Mr. Kumar of the Cancer Research U.K., plain packaging could reduce “false beliefs about how harmful different tobacco products are” and that young people are “less attracted” to plain packs, especially plain packs that have health warnings all over them