8. (1) Subject to subsection (2), a cigarette shall comply with the following requirements:

(a) the paper covering the cigarette shall, subject to paragraph (b)(ii), be white in colour;

(b) where the cigarette has a filter tip—

(i) the filter tip shall be white in colour, and

(ii) the part of the cigarette paper that covers the filter tip may be white in colour or have an imitation cork tip.

(2) The following may be printed, in accordance with regulations under subsection (3), on a cigarette:

(a) a brand name or business name or company name; and

(b) a variant name for the cigarettes concerned.

(3) The Minister may prescribe the form and manner in which a name referred to in subsection (2) may be printed on a cigarette, including the colour, font type, font size, positioning and appearance of such a name, and in doing so the Minister shall have regard to—

(a) the need to ensure that an erroneous impression is not created in relation to the characteristics, health effects, hazards or emissions of cigarettes, and

(b) the need to reduce the ability of cigarettes to mislead consumers in relation to the harmful effects of smoking.

(4) In this section, “an imitation cork tip”, in relation to a cigarette, means the part of the paper covering the filter tip of the cigarette that is printed so as to resemble cork.

(5) It shall be an offence for a person to manufacture, import or sell cigarettes that do not comply with the requirements of this section.

(6) This section applies to cigarettes that are intended for sale by retail in the State.