Ireland says second major tobacco firm threatens legal action

Ireland said a second major cigarette manufacturer, Imperial Tobacco Group, has threatened legal action against the government over plans for a law requiring them to sell cigarettes in plain packets. Ireland said in 2013 it wanted to become the first country in the European Union to ban branding on cigarette packages and reiterated its plans this week after the legislation prompted a threat of legal action from Japan Tobacco International. The minister who has designed the legislation, James Reilly, said Japan Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco had written to his department and that one of the firms demanded he tell them in writing by this week that Dublin would not proceed with the law.
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