PUBLIC health organisation Smokefree South West has welcomed the introduction of standardised ‘plain’ tobacco packaging.

From today (Friday, May 20), cigarettes made for sale in the UK will have to be sold in drab green packaging with dramatic visual health warnings.

There will be a one-year transitional period to allow for the sell-through of old stock, so from May 2017 cigarette and other tobacco products on sale in the UK must comply with the regulations.

In January 2012, Smokefree South West became the first organisation in the northern hemisphere to call for a change to the way tobacco companies market their products, receiving over 211,000 sign-ups of support to the nationwide award-winning Plain Packs Protect campaign.

The initiative was supported by national partners, such as ASH and Cancer Research UK, to help raise awareness of the need to reduce the 340,000 children who try smoking for the first time every year and to highlight the truth behind tobacco packaging.

Kate Knight, director of Smokefree South West, said: “This is a momentous day for public health in the region.

"Hundreds of children start smoking every day and for too long tobacco companies have used bright and glamourous packets to attract children to a deadly addiction which claims almost 100,000 lives in the UK every year.

“Standardised packaging has already reduced smoking rates in Australia. With this measure, we too can look forward to the inevitable reduced appeal of smoking to children which will help save thousands of lives.

“Smoking spreads death and disease as well as untold grief to thousands of families all over the country.

"Standardised packaging is supported by people across the South West.

"It’s one of the best legacies we can leave to our children and is a vital step towards our goal of a smokefree generation”.

The new law comes into effect at the same time as the revised European Union Tobacco Products Directive, which requires larger health warnings on the front and back of packets and prohibits slim 'lipstick'-style cigarette packs.

The new standardised packaging regulations, which received overwhelming support from MPs, are also backed by the public.

YouGov data shows that 63% of adults in the South West of England support requiring tobacco to be sold in plain standardised packaging with the product name in standard lettering which aims to protect the next generation of children and young people from starting to smoke.

Two-thirds of current smokers started when they were children.

Research shows that dull plain packs are less attractive to young people.

Smokefree South West has led on a number of high profile programmes including smokefree Millennium Square in Bristol, the first outdoor open space in the UK to have a voluntary smoking code, and a number of social marketing campaigns to change the behaviour of smokers and raise awareness of tobacco control issues.

When Smokefree South West launched in 2008, around one in four adults in the region were smoking - a figure which was above the national average.

Smoking rates in the region now stand at just under 17% – one of the lowest levels in England – according to the latest ONS General Lifestyle Survey.

Going forward, the organisation will continue to work on public health and behaviour change issues, under the name Public Health Action.