Members of the Norwegian Parliament have overwhelmingly voted in favour of implementing standardised packaging for tobacco products.

This builds on the success of similar plain packaging measures implemented in Australia in 2012. Across the Parliament, a significant majority of politicians endorsed the standardised packaging recommendations, which are due to be introduced at the same time as the EU Tobacco Products Directive measures on packaging and labelling.

Tobacco advertising is deadly. It seeks to addict people to a product that kills almost half of its long-term users. Norway becomes one of the first countries in the world to introduce standardised cigarette packs and the first country to standardise smokeless tobacco boxes.

Smokeless tobacco use increased dramatically among young people in Norway during the last decade. The new measure will contribute to ensure that children and young people never start with tobacco and thus avoid tobacco-related suffering and death.