Draft of  
 
 
R E G U L A T I O N S  
 
entitled  
 
 
Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco)  Regulations 2016  
__________________________________  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To be made by the  
Minister for  Health   
 2 I, _______________, Minister for Health, in exercise of the p owers conferred on me by 
section 3 of the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act (No. 4 of 2015) and 
having had regard to the matters set out in sections  7(11), 8(3), 9(11) and 10(10) of that Act, 
hereby make the following regulations:  
 
 
1. These Regulations may be cited as the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of 
Tobacco) Regulations 2016.  
 
 
2. These Regulations shall come into operation on [DATE] . 
 
 
3. Subject to section 6 of the Act of 2015, these Regulations apply to tobacco products 
that are intended for sale by retail in the State.  
 
 
4. In these Regulations – 
 
“Act of 2015” means the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act 2015;  
 
“cigar band” , in relation to a cigar, means a loop made of paper or foil or other material fitted 
around the circumference of the cigar.   
 3  
Prescribed Colours  
5. The prescribed colour referred to in any of sections 7(1)(a), 9(1)(a) and 10(1)(a) of the 
Act of 2015 shall be Pantone reference 448 C with a matt finish.  
 
 
6. The prescribed colour refer red to in any of sections 7(1)(b), 9(1)(b) and 10(1)(b) of 
the Act of 2015 shall be -  
 
(a) Pantone reference 448 C, or  
 
(b) white.  
 
 
Brand name, business name, company names or variant names  
7. A name referred to in any of sections 7(3), (4) and (10), 9( 3), (4)  and (10) and  10(3), 
(4) and (9) of the Act of 2015 shall comply with the following:  
 
(a) be alphabetic, numeric or an ampersand;  
 
(b) appear as text such that the first letter of any word is in upper -case or 
lower -case type;  
  
 4 (c) appear as text  such that the rest of any word is in lower case -type;  
 
(d) be printed in Helvetica type;  
 
(e) be printed in normal, weighted, regular typeface;  
 
(f) be in colour Pantone reference Cool Gray 2C with a matt finish;  
 
(g) be such that the brand name or business n ame or company name does 
not exceed one line;  
 
(h) be such that the variant name does not exceed one line;  
 
(i) be such that the variant name appears immediately below the brand 
name or business name or company name and has the same orientation 
as such nam e; 
 
(j) be no larger than 14 point as regards the size of the brand name or 
business name or company name;  
 
(k) be no larger than 10 point as regards the variant name;  
  
 5 (l) have the brand name or business name or company name and variant 
name  located at t he centre of  any surface of the cigarette packet or , 
where such a surface contains a health warning, at the centre of the 
area of surface not taken up by the health warning;  
 
(m) have text located on any surface which contains a health warning 
orientated in accordance with that warning.  
 
 
Brand name, business name, company name or variant names on cigarettes  
8. A name referred to in section 8(2) of the Act of 2015 shall comply with the following:  
 
(a) be alphabetic, numeric or an ampersand;  
 
(b) appear as text such that  the first letter of any word is in upper -case or 
lower -case type;  
 
(c) appear as text such that the rest of any word is in lower case -type;  
 
(d) be parallel to and not more than 38 millimetres from the end of the 
cigarette that is not intend ed to be lit;  
 
(e) be printed in Helvetica type;   
 6  
(f) be printed in normal, weighted, regular typeface;  
 
(g) be in colour Pantone reference Cool Gray 2C with a matt finish;  
 
(h) be no larger than 8 point;  
 
(i) appear once.  
 
Text which states number of ciga rettes and  text which states “cigarettes”  
9. The text referring to the number of cigarettes in a cigarette pa cket, referred to in 
sections X1 of the Act of 2015 , and the text “cigarettes” , referred to in section X of the Act of 
2015 , shall comply with the following:  
 
(a) have the number expressed in numeric characters;  
 
(b) have the first l etter of the text “Cigarettes” in upper -case or lower -case 
type;  
 
(c) have the rest of the text  in lower -case type;  
 
                                                 
1 Reference to X relates to a section in the Health (Miscellan eous Provisions) Bill 2016 which amends the 
Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act 2015   
 7 (d) be printed in Helvetica type;  
 
(e) be printed in  normal, weighted, regular typeface;  
 
(f) be in colour Pantone reference Cool Gray 2C with a matt finish;  
 
(g) in the case of a cigarette packet, be no larger than 10 point;  
 
(h) in the case of other necessary modifications to any other form of 
outside pac kaging of cigarettes, be no larger than 14 point;  
 
(i) appear once;  
 
(j) if located on any surface which contains a health warning, be 
orientated in accordance with that warning.  
 
Text which states weight of roll -your -own tobacco and text which states “Rol l-your own 
tobacco”  
10. The text referring to the weight of roll -your-own tobacco in a unit packet, referred to 
in sections X2  of the Act of 2015 , and the text “Roll -your-own tobacco” , referred to in 
section X of the Act of 2015 , shall comply with the fol lowing:  
                                                 
2 Reference to X relates to a section in the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016 which amends the 
Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacc o) Act 2015   
 8  
(a) express the weight of tobacco in numeric characters followed by the 
letter “g”;  
 
(b) have the first letter of any of the text “Roll -your-own tobacco” in 
upper -case or lower -case type;  
 
(c) have the rest of any text  in lower -case type;  
 
(d) be printed in Helvetica type;  
 
(e) be printed in normal, weighted, regular typeface;  
 
(f) be in colour Pantone reference Cool Gray 2C with a matt finish;  
 
(g) in the case of a unit packet, be no larger than 10 point;  
 
(h) in the case of other necessary modifi cations to any other form of 
outside packaging of roll -your-own tobacco, be no larger than 14 
point;  
 
(i) appear once;  
  
 9 (j) if located on any surface which contains a health warning, be 
orientated in accordance with that warning.  
 
Text which states  number  or weight of cigars, cigarillos or pipe tobacco and text which 
states “cigars”, “cigarillos” or “pipe tobacco”  
11. The text which refers to the number or weight of cig ars, cigarillos or pipe tobacco , 
referred to in sections X3  of the Act of 2015 , and t he text “cigars”, “cigarillos” or “pipe 
tobacco” , referred to  in sections X of the Act of 2015 , shall comply with the following:  
 
(a) express the weight of tobacco in numeric characters followed by the 
letter “g”;  
 
(b) express the number of products  in nume ric characters;  
 
(c) have the first letter of any of the text “Cigars”, “Cigarillos”, or “Pipe 
tobacco” in  upper -case or lower -case type;  
 
(d) have the rest of any text in lower -case type;  
 
(e) be printed in Helvetica type;  
 
                                                 
3 Reference to X relates to a section in the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016 which amends the 
Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act 2015   
 10 (f) be printed in normal, weigh ted, regular typeface;  
 
(g) be in colour Pantone reference Cool Gray 2C with a matt finish;  
 
(h) in the case of a unit pac ket, be no larger than 10 point;  
 
(i) in the case of other necessary modifications to any other form of 
outside packaging of roll -your-own tobacco, be no larger than 14 
point;  
 
(j) appear once;  
 
(k) if located on any surface which contains a health warning , be 
orientated in accordance with that warning.  
 
 
Cigar bands  
12. (1) Where a cigar has a cig ar band referred to in section X4  of the Act of 2015, 
that band shall be in colour Pantone reference 448 C with a matt finish.  
 
                                                 
4 Reference to X relates to a section in the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016 which amends the 
Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act 2015   
 11 (2) The band referred to in paragraph (1) may be adhesive only if it covers the 
existing cigar band completely and is fastened firmly so as not to be easily removed.  
 
 (3) The band referred to in paragraph (1) may contain text indicating the country 
of origin if:  
 
(a) the text is alphabetic, numeric or an ampersand;  
 
(b) the first letter of any text is in upper -case or lower -case type;  
 
(c) the rest of any text is in l ower case -type;  
 
(d) the text is printed in Helvetica type;  
 
(e) the text is printed in normal, weighted, regular typeface;  
 
(f) the colour of the text is Pantone reference Cool Gray 2C with a matt 
finish;  
 
(g) the size of the text is no larger than 10 poi nt; 
 
(h) the text appear s once.  
  
 12  
Contact details of manufacturer  
13. (1) Subject to paragraph (2), text indicating the contact details of t he manufacturer 
under sections X5, X and X  [all tobacco products] of the Act of 2015 may appear once on the 
inner or  outer surfaces of the retail packaging and may include the following:  
 
(a) the name of the manufacturer;  
 
(b) the address of the manufacturer;  
 
(c) the e -mail address of the manufacturer ; 
 
(d) the telephone number of the manufacturer.  
 
 (2) The contact de tails referred to in paragraph (1) shall, in relation to the text, 
comply with the following:  
 
(a) be alphabetic, numeric or an ampersand or in the case of an e -mail 
address, an @ sign;  
 
                                                 
5 Reference to X relates to a section in the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016 which amends the 
Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act 2015   
 13 (b) be such that the first letter of any text is in upper -case or low er-case 
type;  
 
(c) be such that the rest of any text is in lower case -type;  
 
(d) be printed in Helvetica type;  
 
(e) be printed in normal, weighted, regular typeface;  
 
(f) be in colour  Pantone reference C ool Gray 2C with a matt finish;  
 
(g) the size of the text is no larger than 10 point;  
 
(h) be located on any surface which contains a health warning is orientated 
in accordance with that warning;  
 
(i) does not appear on the front surface of the unit packet or outside 
packaging;  
 
(j) appear once.  
 
 
Bar-code o r other identification mark   
 14 14. (1) A bar -code or other similar identification mark referred to in any of sections 
7(2)(b) and  (5), 9(2)(b) and (5) and  10(2)(b) and (5) -  
 
(a) shall be either – 
 
(i) black and white, or  
 
(ii) Pantone reference 448C and whi te, 
 
(b) shall not form a picture, pattern, image or symbol that could be 
construed as anything other than a bar -code or other similar 
identification mark,  
 
(c) shall appear once, and  
 
(d) shall  not appear on the front outer surface of the retail packagi ng of the 
tobacco products.  
 
 (3) A bar -code or similar identification mark referred to in paragraph (1) may take 
the form of an adhesive label if it does not obscure the health warnings or such other it ems as 
are provided for by law.  
 
  
 15 Tear -strip  
15. (1) A tear -strip as contained in a wrapper and referred to in any of secti ons 7(8)(d) 
or (9), 9(8)(d) or (9) and 10(7)(d) or (8) of the Act of 2015 shall be  - 
 
(a) either – 
 
(i) clear and transparent, unmarked  and not coloured , or 
 
(ii) black,  
 
(b) a continuous , straight line of constant width which does not exceed 3 
millimetres, and  
 
(c) parallel to any straight edge of the packet enclosed by the wrapper.  
 
 (2) A tear -strip referred to in paragraph (1) may include a single, solid, black line 
which is no more th an 15 millimetres in length with the sole purpose of indicating where the 
tear-strip begins.  
 
 
Linings  
16. (1) Where a unit packet of cigarettes, roll -your-own tobacco or any other tobacco 
product contains a lining as referred to in section 11 of the Act o f 2015, that lining shall be  
 16 silver coloured foil with a white backing in respect of retail packaging of cigarettes or white 
or the colour of the packaging material in its natural state in respect of retail packaging of 
tobacco products other than cigarett es. 
 
 (2) There shall be no variation in the tone or shade of the lining referred to in 
paragraph (1).  
 
 (3) The lining referred to in paragraph (1) may be textured with small embossed 
dots or squares where the texture is required for the purpose of the au tomated manufacture of 
the lining or the packing of cigarettes into the packet.  
 
(4) If the lining contains dots and squares as referred to in paragraph (3), those dots or 
squares shall  - 
 
(a) be equidistant from each other,  
 
(b) be uniform in size, and  
 
(c) not form an image, picture, pattern or symbol.  
 
 
 
  
 17       GIVEN  under my Official Seal,  
 
          ____    ________ 20 16. 
 
 
          _________________________  
 
         Minister for Health