France proposal would require plain packaging for cigarettes

Packages and cartons of cigarettes in France could soon all look largely the same, as the the country with one of the highest smoking rate in Europe is preparing to enact a law requiring plain packaging for the addictive tobacco product.
The proposal, announced Thursday by French Health Minister Marisol Touraine, includes a more comprehensive ban on electronic cigarettes in public, as well as new rules forbidding smoking in cars with children.
"In France, 13 million adults smoke on a daily basis. And the situation is getting worse. The number of smokers is growing, especially among young people," Touraine said in a statement. "We can't accept that tobacco kills 73,000 people every year in our country -- the equivalent of a plane crash every day with 200 people on board."
With 31 percent of France's population smoking daily, only Greece and Austria have higher smoking rates in Western Europe.
If passed, the proposal would allow only the cigarettes brand name to be printed on the package -- using plain, "neutral" lettering.
"There is no miracle cure for tobacco addiction," Touraine said. "Neutral packaging is one measure among others to efficiently fight the industry's marketing."
Europe is already home to some of the strictest laws regulating the appearance of cigarette packaging and branding. EU regulations require health warnings to cover 65 percent of the outside of a pack of cigarettes.
The plan still must be considered by France's parliament, and even if passed is likely to face a legal challenge from the tobacco industry. France is following the lead of Australia, which passed similar legislation in 2012. The law has been in effect since December 2012, and while reformers say it's inspired many more smokers to quit, cigarette makers have called it a failure and a mess.