Cigarette packages in Britain will take on Australian warning labels in the event of a no deal Brexit.
The European Commission owns the copyright to the current graphics on tobacco produce, so the Government has set up this contingency plan in the case it does not allow Britain to continue using them.
Legislation in place since 2009 dictates that tobacco manufacturers must publish stark health notices on their items.
A document, released by the Department for Health and Social Care, stated: “Current regulations for tobacco and related products are designed to promote and protect the public’s health.
“The government’s priority is to maintain the same high standards after the UK leaves the EU.
“In the event of no deal, the UK will need to introduce new picture warnings for tobacco products as the copyright for the existing picture library is owned by the European Commission.”
Due to this, new picture warnings “have been secured by agreement with the Australian government”.
These are similar in style and context to the current images, with images of a dissected brain after a stroke and a foot affected by emphysema among them.
This change is one of many which the Government has prepared for, with multiple “technical papers” produced for to account for no deal scenarios.
Others include potential food labelling changes, bus and coach disruption, as well as there possibly being a need for international driving permits for British drivers in the EU.
A note on context in the document regarding tobacco labelling states the department’s belief that “it is in the interests of both the EU and UK to strike a deal”.
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