Cigars and other tobacco products: the United Kingdom is considering plain packaging

The British government opened a public consultation on July 10, 2026.[1] proposing to extend plain packaging to cigars and hand-rolled cigars, potentially ending the exception this product category has enjoyed since 2016. The project provides for a uniform color, standardized typography and reinforced health warnings, modeled on the rules already applied to cigarette packs and rolling tobacco.

A consultation open until October 2, 2026

The consultation "Tobacco and vapes: packaging, appearance and display", launched in July 2026 by the UK Department of Health and Social Care jointly with the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is part of the implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which came into force (Royal Assent) on April 29, 2026. This law notably establishes a generational ban on sales and gives the government the power to regulate the packaging, presentation and display conditions in stores of all tobacco products, cigarette paper, herbal smoking products, heated tobacco devices as well as vaping products and nicotine.

The consultation document notes that cigarettes and rolling tobacco have been subject to plain packaging since 2016, in accordance with the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations adopted in 2015, while cigars and cigarillos remain exempt. It relies in particular on data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicating that 10.6% of British adults (5.3 million people) still smoke, with approximately 80,000 deaths attributed to tobacco each year in the United Kingdom. The government proposes a compliance period of at least twelve months from the publication of the final regulations. The consultation remains open until 2 October 2026.

A historical exception called into question

When plain packaging was introduced for cigarettes in the UK, cigars and pipe tobacco were exempted following a consultation in 2014. The Department of Health justified this decision by citing the lower prevalence of smoking these products, particularly among young people. However, the government reserved the right to revise this exemption should consumption habits change. Two exceptions remain for cigars and cigarillos today: firstly, individually wrapped cigars weighing more than 3 grams are subject only to a text-based health warning, without images, unlike cigarettes; secondly, their display at the point of sale can include the country of origin and the product's dimensions, information not permitted for other tobacco products.

The consultation opened in July 2026 revisits this logic and proposes aligning cigars and cigarillos with the cigarette regime: uniform dark brown colour, cuboid-shaped pack, without logo or promotional visual, and above all the removal of the exemption from image warnings: all cigars and cigarillos, without exception of weight or packaging, should now carry illustrated health warnings as well as information leaflets.

Industry representatives strongly oppose these proposals: Jimmy McGhee, commercial director of the retailer James J. Fox, believes that plain packaging "threatens the existence of the British hand-rolled cigar market." Industry professionals argue that such a measure could reduce the available supply by 50 to 90 % cigars and fear a shift in consumption to neighboring markets. A campaign has been launched via the website savecigars.co.uk.

France faces the same dilemma

The effectiveness of plain packaging rests on a simple principle: neutralizing all the attractive elements of the packaging—colors, typography, logos—for all tobacco products, without exception. By doing so, the measure strengthens the effectiveness of health messages and prevents manufacturers from using packaging to mislead consumers into believing that a product is less harmful. Allowing an exempt category to remain leads to the misconception that some products are actually less toxic than others and opens the door to potential shifts in consumption toward products not covered by regulations.

France faces a similar problem. Plain packaging has been mandatory for cigarettes and rolling tobacco since 2016, but cigars and cigarillos are still excluded. These latter items, often sold individually or in small packs at significantly lower entry prices than a pack of cigarettes, remain more financially accessible, including for young people or those unfamiliar with tobacco. A bill was introduced on April 28, 2026 (Bill No. 2276The aim is to extend the principle of plain packaging to all tobacco products, including cigarillos, and to include particularly attractive vaping packaging. To date, only a few countries impose plain packaging on hand-rolled cigars: Australia, Ireland, Canada, and Singapore, as well as Belgium, where plain packaging has applied to cigars, cigarillos, and pipe tobacco since June 1, 2026, with a commercial transition period running until January 1, 2027.

The evolution of legislation under discussion in different countries underlines how a measure to combat smoking only produces its full effects if it applies to all tobacco products, without exception left at the disposal of the industry.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Public consultation, Tobacco and vapes: packaging, appearance and display, UK government website, published on 10 July 2026, accessed on 20 August 2026