'Plain Packs Protect' Campaign
Contact: 0191 229 2903 Judith Macmorran, Senior Health Improvement Specialist
Every year, another 340,000 children in the UK are tempted to try smoking. In Newcastle 15% of 15 year old are already regular smokers (Health Related Behaviour Survey, 2011). Evidence shows that young people are more likely to be attracted by designed tobacco packs, than by plain packs.
This is why Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, Fresh and Smoke Free Newcastle are just a few of the organisations nationwide supporting the campaign for plain and standardised cigarette packets.
With regulation in place to restrict television, radio and other advertising, packaging is becoming more and more important to the tobacco industry to help sell their products. The tobacco industry spends a fortune on glossy colourful designs to entice new smokers to buy cigarettes. Shiny holograms, pretty pastel colours and wrappers are just some of the eye-catching pack designs available, and there is building evidence to suggest that these packs can attract and mislead children. The attached factsheet gives examples of packs on sale in shops now.
The Government is shortly to launch a consultation on whether tobacco should be sold in plain, standardised packs to make smoking less attractive to children and Smoke Free Newcastle would like to ask for your support for introducing plain and standardised tobacco packs.
Find out more at www.freshne.com/plainpacks
What is plain and standardised packaging?
The plain packaging of tobacco means that all tobacco products will be required to look the same. All brand names would have to be written in a standard typeface, colour and size. And all other trademarks, logos, colour schemes and graphics would be banned. Some examples are shown below:
Why should I support plain packaging?
Plain packs work in three ways:
- They reduce the attractiveness to young people. Peer-reviewed studies found plain packaging is less attractive to young people than branded cigarettes.
- They end deceptive health messages that one type of cigarette is less harmful than another. Despite the tobacco industry being banned from labelling cigarettes “low tar” or “mild”, the colours still remain and many smokers still assume white or silver cigarettes are less harmful.
- Plain packaging would increase the prominence of health warnings - far less noticeable on the most colourful packets.
How you can help
You can help protect our children by signing up today. It’s quick and easy, and your support will be fed through to the national consultation. Sign up at www.freshne.com/plainpacks
Contact
For further information please contact:
Judith Macmorran
Senior Health Improvement Specialist
Newcastle Hospitals Community Health
Tel: 0191 229 2903
email Judith.macmorran@newcastle-pct.nhs.uk
