Plain tobacco packaging 2015. After some delays, it was announced that the law would take effect on 30 September 2017, with the sale of previously-manufactured cigarettes allowed until 30 September 2018. On 24 February 2016, the Malaysian health ministry announced that it is planning to follow Australia's example and introduce plain packaging for tobacco in the near future. In the Netherlands, Paul Blokhuis, serving as State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sports in the Third Rutte cabinet plans to have plain packaging law by 2020. New Zealand requires tobacco products to be standardised in a similar manner to Australian requirements. Legislation and associated
Tobacco products Tobacco products Tobacco is the agricultural product of the leaves of plants in the genus "Nicotiana". All species of "Nicotiana" contain the addictive drug nicotine—a stimulant and sedative contained in all parts of the plants except the seeds—which occurs in varying amounts depending on the species and variety cultivated. See types of tobacco and curing of tobacco for more information. The vast majority of commercially available tobacco is derived from the species "Nicotiana tabacum", although it is also produced from "Nicotiana alata", and to a lesser extent "Nicotiana clevelandii", "Nicotiana longiflora", and "Nicotiana rustica", among others. Once tobacco has been