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Newsroom
Government to press ahead with plain packaging
Opponents say policy not justified by evidence
The government is to move ahead with plain packaging for tobacco, subject to a final “short consultation” on the issue.
Public health minister Jane Ellison told MPs the measure was “likely to have a positive impact” on public health and prevent children from taking up smoking.
The announcement follows an independent review by paediatrician Sir Cyril Chantler, which concluded that plain packaging measures introduced in Australia had been effective.
The opposition Labour Party accused the government of stalling and called for legislation to be introduced straight away.
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) urged the government to undertake an urgent full assessment of the wider impact of standardised packaging on businesses.
It says the measure will impose additional costs and operational burdens on retailers, as well as encouraging more smokers to turn to the illicit trade.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Tobacco plain packing will have a significant negative impact on local shops. We are disappointed that although ministers say they will consider these impacts, they have pre-empted this consultation with a statement that they intend to impose this measure.”
He added: “It would be reckless, and damaging to local shops, to impose plain packaging on top of the tobacco display ban which tens of thousands of small retailers still have to implement by April 2015.”
Pro-smokers group Forest urged the government to keep an “open mind” on plain packs. Director Simon Clark said: “It makes sense for the government to take its time and consult further, but it seems perverse to commit to a policy before those discussions have taken place.”
Tobacco manufacturer JTI said the Chantler review did not justify plain packaging.
UK managing director Daniel Torras said: “Nothing has changed since last summer when the prime minister said ‘there isn’t yet sufficient evidence for it and there is considerable legal uncertainty about it’.”
Torras added: “The Chantler report explicitly references the ‘limitations’ of the evidence presented by a small group of tobacco control lobbyists.
“The latest reports from Australia indicate plain packaging has had no positive impact at all and that the illegal trade is increasing. For the Chantler review to discount the only real world evidence available is inexplicable.
“A thorough independent impact assessment of the economic consequences on businesses large and small is essential to restore confidence in the regulatory process.
“The government must consider the impact plain packaging could have on the thriving illegal trade in the UK and give time to assess the relevance of plain packaging given a complete retail display ban from early 2015 and the European Tobacco Products Directive, which is set to increase the size of health warnings on packs to 65% and ban packs of 10.”
Source: Talking Retail (April 3, 2014)
Our Supporters
In 2012 the Government held a public consultation on whether the UK should adopt standardised (or 'plain') packaging for tobacco products. In total the consultation received over 665,000 responses, with a substantial majority (427,888) opposed to the policy. In November 2013 the Government announced a further review of the evidence on standardised packaging and commissioned paediatrician Sir Cyril Chantler submit a report by the end of March 2014. The report was published on April 3 when public health minister Jane Ellison simultaneously announced that it was "minded" to proceed with the policy subject to a "final short consultation". To make your views known please visit our NO PRIME MINISTER microsite NOW! To receive updates about our campaign please enter your details below.
