Legislators voted 108-13 to approve legislation requiring unitary packaging on tobacco products, clearing the way for implementation in 2017, the NZ Herald reported.

Plain packaging could be in place by early next year, the newspaper said on its website. New Zealand had held back on plans to mandate a standard colour and typeface, coupled with large graphic warnings on packaging to await the outcome of legal challenges, the Herald said. A victory by Australia against Philip Morris International and adoption of plain packs by other countries, including the UK and Ireland, prompted the government to reactivate its proposal.