Plain tobacco packaging void of brand logos. Eventually, all cigarette and tobacco products are to be sold in uniform packs from 20 May 2019. As of July 2017, the first cigarettes with unified plain packaging hit the Hungarian market. From 20 August 2016 onwards, new brands have to be sold in plain packaging, one new cigarette brand of Von Eicken GmbH was forced to be launched with such unified package. This makes Hungary the fourth country in the world, where plain packaging is enforced; after Australia, France and the UK. As of August 2012, India is believed to be considering plain packaging. BJD
Plain tobacco packaging Mars, Incorporated and the UK Department of Health conveyed concerns that plain packaging could be extended to the food and beverage industry. Together, with other policies such as tobacco taxes, plain packaging is considered by some as a form of social engineering. A study commissioned by Philip Morris International indicated that plain packaging would shift consumer preferences away from premium towards cheaper brands. The tobacco industry also expressed concern that plain packaging would increase the sales of counterfeit cigarettes. Roy Ramm, former commander of Specialist Operations at New Scotland Yard and founding member of The Common Sense Alliance, a think