Teesside retailer and trading standards support calls for tobacco plain packaging
A Teesside newsagent has called for tobacco products to be sold in plain, standardised packaging to help protect children from taking up smoking.
Retailer Mark Brackenbury, manager at Teesside University’s Student Union shop, said: “It is obvious to me that colourful and attractive packaging is the tobacco industry’s way of advertising its products to recruit new smokers – most of who are children.
“Existing smokers who come into our shop are not bothered by what the packaging looks like, but eye-catching colours and glamorous packaging really appeal to young people who think that smoking these particular brands will make them look cool.
“I think that the introduction of plain, standardised packaging of tobacco products is a great way to de-glamorise the appeal of current tobacco brands. There are very low margins of profit on a packet of cigarettes and I would much prefer for my customers to save their money, instead of buying cigarettes, and spend it on other products in store which have significantly higher profit margins.
“Increasing the health warnings will also make tobacco products less confusing to many of our customers who still call low-tar products ‘light’ and believe that menthol cigarettes are less harmful for them to smoke than other brands which is completely not true.”
FRESH, along with the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK (CRUK), ASH and many others, is part of the Plain Packs Protect campaign which is backing proposals for plain, standardised packaging of tobacco products. The UK Government is currently consulting (until July 10, 2012) on whether this would make tobacco less attractive to young people and increase levels of awareness around the damage to health, caused by smoking. Nearly 80,000 people in the country have pledged support to this new proposed measure to date.
North East supporters of this measure already include MPs, local authorities and medical professionals. As well as Mr Brackenbury, the North East Trading Standards Association (NETSA) has also joined the fight to help protect children from smoking and is submitting a response in support.
Richard Ferry from NETSA said: “Despite exaggerated claims by the tobacco companies, there is no evidence that plain, standardised packaging would result in a rise in illegal tobacco as packs will still carry security devices which allow ourselves and HMRC to tell real cigarettes from fakes. The new packaging would be no easier to counterfeit than the brands currently available on shop shelves. Counterfeiters have a long track record of turning out fakes of popular products, from DVDs to hair straighteners, within weeks of a new product being launched.
“Much of the illegal tobacco now being seized in the North East are brands made in the East, but not sold legally in the UK. The criminals supplying these make no attempt to pass them off as legal tobacco and they are easy to spot.
“Tobacco is the only product on our shelves that kills half of its long term users when it is used as the manufacturers intend. It is a lethal product sold in packaging that disguises the harm it causes. Given the impact of tobacco on health and wellbeing in the North East, measures to help prevent youth uptake of tobacco and support existing smokers through standardised packaging of all tobacco should be adopted as soon as possible.”
Ailsa Rutter, director of FRESH, said: “The evidence backing why we need plain, standardised packaging is clear. More children and young people would see cigarette packs as unattractive and not be lured into smoking, with the lifetime of ill health and premature death which come with it.
“No other product than tobacco kills one in two long term users when it is used exactly as the manufacturers intend.”
Rebecca Laidler, Health Improvement Specialist with NHS Redcar and Cleveland, said: “NHS Tees are committed to improving the health within our communities. One of the ways in which we can do this is to make smoking history for our children and young people.
“Smoking is a childhood addiction and evidence has proven that plain packaging is less attractive to young people and that the health warnings are more prominent on plain packs.
“NHS Tees and a wide range of partners including local authorities, elected members, education, voluntary sector, community forums and local community members are supporting plain packaging as one of the important measures to reduce the uptake of smoking by our young people.”