Lords vote for standard tobacco packaging
North East children will be given one of the strongest reasons yet never to smoke after a conclusive vote in the House of Lords that will mean cigarettes sold in plain, standardised packs.
The UK now joins Australia and the Republic of Ireland in introducing the new policy. Standardised (“plain”) packaging will be introduced at the same time as the EU Tobacco Products Directive measures on packaging and labelling, on 20th May 2016. [1] Standardised packaging will help protect the next generation of children and young people from starting to smoke. Two thirds of current smokers started when children, and half all lifetime smokers will die from smoking related disease.
69% of North East adults support standardized packaging with less than 9% opposing. Young people in the North East rated Australian standardised packs as the least attractive, most harmful, had the most noticeable health warnings, and the brand 16-24-year-olds would be least likely to try or buy when compared to branded packs.
Lisa Surtees, Acting Director of Fresh, said: “This is a landmark vote that means tens of thousands of North East children will be given one of the strongest reasons yet never to smoke. Tobacco kills 15 people a day here in the North East and we don’t wish today’s teenagers to become part of that terrible statistic tomorrow.
“Instead of glossy, colourful exciting brands, children will see cigarette boxes that really convey the fact that tobacco kills one in two smokers and that smoking related-diseases can cause years of misery and suffering.”
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of health charity ASH said: “This is a decisive moment in the long and patient struggle to reduce, and then end, the horrors that the tobacco industry has brought to our country and the rest of the world. Today we should remember the millions of people who died too young from diseases caused by smoking, and the families and friends they left behind. And we should resolve for good and all that this misery must not be inherited by our children.”
Every local authority in the North East has backed standardised packs. The independent Chantler Review found the case for standardized packaging is “compelling” and HMRC’s own risk assessment stated: “We have seen no evidence to suggest the introduction of standardised packaging will have a significant impact on the overall size of the illicit market.”
There is good evidence that standard packs will:
o Reduce the appeal of cigarettes and tobacco packs, especially to children and young people
o Make packs less misleading – colours like white are still mistaken to mean lower tar and less harmful, even though terms such as “low tars”. “light” and “mild” cigarettes promoting the illusion of safe smoking are banned
o Increase the impact of health warnings