Ireland will consider placing health warnings on individual cigarettes, the Health Minister has said.

It comes as Canada is set to become the first country in the world to put health warnings on each individual cigarette in a pack.

The warnings will be placed on the butts of cigarettes, little cigars, tubes and other tobacco products.

Scottish lawmakers are also considering a similar plan.

This afternoon, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said Ireland could soon follow suit.

“We know the Canadians are doing so we are going to stay engaged with our Canadian counterparts to see what kind of an impact it has,” he said.

“I wouldn’t rule anything out. Ireland has been seen as a leader in terms of tackling smoking and reducing rates of smoking.

“Anything we do is in the context of a broad public health push.”

Canada aims to bring in the new warning on a phased basis from August 1st.

The warnings include "Poison in every puff," "Tobacco smoke harms children" and "Cigarettes cause cancer".

The country’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions has said the change will make it virtually impossible to avoid health warnings.

Officials expect the new warnings to be fully rolled out by April 2024.