Out of Queen's Speech but not 'abandoned'

Although legislation to introduce plain , standardised packs did not make it into this year's Queen's Speech, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has told Radio 4's Today Programme that “Just because something is not in the Queen’s Speech does not mean the Government can’t bring it forward as law". 

London 24 went onto state:

Not including measures aimed at discouraging people from smoking in today’s Queen’s Speech does not mean they have been abandoned, the health secretary has said.

The measure has been the subject of extensive consultation and appeared to have ministerial backing but has been stalled amid apparent splits within the Cabinet.

But health secretary Jeremy Hunt insisted that no final decisions had been taken.

“On plain paper packaging, if we do it we will be the first country in Europe, the second country in the world - Australia only introduced it in January” Mr Hunt said.

“I want to make sure we do the job properly so I’ve said I will take the time needed.”

The Today Programme's John Humphrys quizzed Hunt on the exclusion of plain packaging legislation from this year's Queen's Speech. With reference to the government taking this decision because they are "scared" of how UKIP and their leader Nigel Farage may react, Hunt replied "we haven't made our decision and when we have, we shall see if Mr Farage has a smile on his face".


To listen to Radio 4's Today programme, click here. The piece can be heard from 1.13.00 onward.

Aside from Mr Hunt's earlier remarks, the exclusion of plain packs from this year's Queen's Speech has produced further comment, notably from the Royal College of Physicians, the Association of Public Health and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

The President of the Royal College of Physicians, Sir Richard Thompson said that the exclusion was a “major lost opportunity to help protect children from starting to smoke. Evidence shows that plain packaging is less attractive to young people. In the UK, two thirds of regular smokers started smoking before the age of 18; two fifths before the age of 16. Only around half will manage to stop smoking during their lifetime.  We need to take every opportunity to reduce the amount of deaths and disease in later life by preventing children from starting to smoke now.”

Dr Janet Atherton, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health commented that: “Tobacco packaging is clearly targeted at young people, and standardised packs would provide one less reason for them to start smoking.  There has been an extensive public consultation on this issue – this should not be buried – the public has a right to expect that it should be properly debated in Parliament.”      

Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of health charity ASH said:“Every day nearly 570 young people start smoking, and many will go on to die early from smoking-related disease. Smoking is by far the biggest cause of preventable premature death, and the poorest communities suffer worst. It is clear that a majority of MPs and peers as well as the general public support standard packs.”

This year's Queen's Speech can be viewed via the BBC, here. 

UK government and plain cigarette packaging

The Financial Times today reported that the British government is planning to potential abandon plans to introduce plain cigarette packaging for the time being.

The paper noted that this would be a move that will "please the tobacco industry that had challenged the claim it would put young people off smoking."

The piece continued:

Health ministers had been weighing banning brands on packets of cigarettes for more than a year, a policy that would have seen the UK follow in the footsteps of Australia in attempting to deter people from smoking.

Brands on packets are one of the last remaining ways to advertise cigarettes, as many other methods are already restricted in the UK. A ban on tobacco displays in large shops was introduced just last year.

The plans have been dropped in an attempt to focus on more core policies in next week’s Queen’s Speech, when the government has to outline its legislative agenda for the next session of parliament.

Andy Burnham, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said the government had “completely lost its way” on public health.

“David Cameron promised to get tough on smoking and alcohol abuse, but instead has caved in to big business and vested interests,” he said. “Standardised cigarette packets are key to deterring our young people from taking up smoking. We call on the government to rethink ditching this policy."

To read the whole story, click here.

Plain cigarette packaging ‘puts women off smoking’

WOMEN get less satisfaction and enjoyment when smoking cigarettes that come in plain packaging, Scottish research suggests, so says the Scotsman.

In a piece published today, Lyndsay Buckland wrote:

A study by researchers at Stirling University involved 187 young female smokers who used plain brown packs.

The women said they were more embarrassed about smoking from plain packs and felt more negative about it, even though they were using their usual brand.

They also reported smoking fewer cigarettes, stubbing out cigarettes early, smoking less around others and thinking more about quitting. The report comes after a Scottish Government strategy to combat smoking backed the use of plain packaging as a measure to help almost eradicate cigarettes.
But campaigners condemned the study as “sexist” for suggesting women were so easily influenced by plain packaging.

The Stirling researchers wanted to examine the extent to which young women smokers were influenced by the aesthetic appeal of packaging. Their findings echoed an earlier study using the same ­approach and anecdotal evidence in Australia, where standardised packs were introduced last ­December.

Dr Crawford Moodie, lead author of the study, said: “Young women are a key target group for both public health and tobacco companies given that smoking prevalence is very high among young women in the UK.
“Tobacco companies use slim, elegant packaging to target young women and have been successful in doing so. In contrast, public health initiatives have had limited impact.

“This is highlighted by the fact that smoking prevalence among 20 to 24-year-old women has only fallen by 4 per cent since the mid-1980s, from 35 per cent in 1984 to 31 per cent in 2009.”

Dr Moodie said the ­research showed the importance ­packaging has for young women. He added: “It offers an insight into how packaging could be used to help reduce the appeal of tobacco products rather than offering the tobacco industry a chance to market their product.”

A UK-wide public consultation on tobacco packaging ended in August last year. While the Scottish Government has backed plain packets, the UK administration has yet to make a decision.

Health campaigners want ­colourful packaging to be replaced with packs of uniform size, shape and design, showing health warnings, to reduce the appeal of tobacco to children.

Sarah Woolnough, Cancer Research UK’s executive director of policy and information, said: “This research highlights just how powerful packaging can be.”

To read the whole piece, click here.