Stop the tobacco industry hooking our young – North Tyneside
Mayor of North Tyneside, Councillor Linda Arkley, and director of public health Marietta Evans have backed a campaign from FRESH for tobacco products to be sold in standardised, plain packaging to help make smoking history for more children.
Over 60,000 people nationwide have now put their names to a national Government consultation on whether standardised, plain packaging of tobacco would make packs less attractive to young people and make the damage to health much more obvious.
The average age for smokers starting in the North East is just 15, and evidence shows* children in the North East are more likely to be attracted to glitzy, colourful tobacco packaging.
Elected Mayor, Mrs Linda Arkley said: “I very much support this campaign as it is crucial that we turn off the tap of a whole new generation of smokers. Tobacco is full of harmful, addictive chemicals and we need standardised packaging to help prevent young people, who it is proven are attracted to glamorous packaging, from starting to smoke.
“The tobacco industry spends millions of pounds on designing its products to lure in young people and we need more action to protect the vulnerable from the harmful effects of tobacco marketing.”
FRESH is supporting the Plain Packs Protect campaign, backed by ASH, the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK (CRUK) in support of this measure.
Every year, another 340,000 children in the UK are tempted in some shape or form to try smoking. Research shows that they are more attracted by branded packs than by plain, standardised packs. Cancer Research UK recently found that 85 per cent of people in the North East believe that children should not be exposed to any form of tobacco marketing – such as glamorous packaging.
Marietta Evans, director of public health for North Tyneside, said: “There is significant harm caused to local people through smoking and promotion of tobacco products and we want to protect as many of our residents as possible from a premature and unnecessary smoking related death. Two thirds of regular smokers start before the age of 18, therefore it is essential that we look at measures that will help to stop young people taking up the smoking habit.
“Standardised packaging would certainly go some way towards making smoking a thing of the past for our children and would help prevent impressionable young people from being attracted to the glamorised packaging of tobacco products. Currently our young people are bombarded with bright colours, brands and logos on tobacco packaging, which present misleading messages and disguise the fact that this product will kill one in two of its users. I fully support this measure which will ultimately help to prevent a new generation of smokers from getting addicted to such a harmful product.”
Dr Stephen Bourke, consultant physician at North Tyneside General Hospital, said: “The majority of new smokers do start in childhood and the earlier a smoker starts in age, the more likely they will become addicted and at risk of a number of smoking related diseases and an early death.
“Child smokers can show signs of addiction within four weeks of starting to smoke and those who start to smoke at a young age are more likely to be heavier smokers, with a higher dependency, have a lower chance of quitting and much higher chance of dying earlier. They are more at risk of respiratory problems, coughs, impaired lung growth and premature lung function decline, as well as having a bigger risk of developing lung cancer and heart disease.
“This is a very real problem and we need to protect children from being exposed to tobacco industry tactics like glamorous exciting packaging which ultimately lures them into a lifetime of health issues and premature death.”
Ailsa Rutter, director of FRESH, said: “We are delighted to have Alex Cunningham’s backing for this, as well as doctors who see the harm of smoking on their wards every day. All support for this vital measure will ultimately help to make smoking history for children.
“By supporting the introduction of standardised packs, the North East will be playing a part in helping to turn off the tap of a whole new generation of smokers who are being lured in by attractive product designs which look like cosmetics, MP3 players, crayons and also glamorous slimline cigarettes.
“Smoking remains our biggest killer in the North East, with 11 deaths a day from smoking related disease. We would encourage everyone to pledge their support for this to help protect the next generation of young people from taking up smoking and suffering from a lifetime of addiction and ill health.”
To pledge your support to the Plain Packs Protect campaign and for your say in the Government’s public consultation, sign up today at www.freshne.com/plainpacks
To watch a short film on what people in the North East think about current tobacco packaging and the introduction of standardised packs, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtBvlhr-_Kg&feature=youtu.be
You can also follow FRESH on facebook and Twitter at FreshSmokeFree.