From: US Department of State | Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
Ireland
2016 Investment Climate Statements
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The government continues to crack down on the sale of illegal cigarettes smuggled into the country by both international and local organized criminal groups. Cigarettes in Ireland are heavily taxed, making illegal trade in counterfeit and untaxed cigarettes highly lucrative. Ireland has become the first European country and the second in the world (after Australia) to pass a plain packaging law for tobacco products. The Public Health (Standardized Packaging of Tobacco) Bill was signed into law on March 9th, 2015. In practice, tobacco packaging will be devoid of branding with health warnings covering nearly the entire box and only the producer/product name otherwise visible.
