News

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) is to launch Silk Cut super-slim cigarettes in "perfume-shaped" packaging designed to appeal to fashion-conscious young women, a move which has been described as "totally deplorable" by public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash).

Silk Cut's new super-slim purple cigarettes are smaller than conventional ones and come in a more compact flip-top box.

Amanda Sandford, research manager at Ash, told Packaging News: "There is nothing new about glamorising smoking, but with the restrictions put in place by the 2002 Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act, which banned cigarette advertising, the packaging has been the main vehicle left open to tobacco companies for promotion."

JTI, which acquired Silk Cut brand owner Gallaher in 2007, described the new brand extension, which goes on sale next month, as bringing "elegance and quality" to the super-slim cigarette sector.

"The use of the word 'elegance' speaks volumes," said Sandford. "It's clearly intentional and to describe a product that can kill in this way is totally unacceptable. Too many young women, sadly, will be persuaded by this marketing to smoke these cigarettes.

"There's also the subliminal message that smoking these cigarettes will help you stay slim, which is deplorable," she added.

JTI head of communications Jeremy Blackburn said Ash was entitled to its opinion, but the super-slim description referred to the dimensions of the cigarettes and not that they could help lose weight.

"It's a brand extension and a premium product aimed at over 18s; we're not targeting teenage girls," he said.

Earlier this month, Ash published its Beyond Smoking Kills report, which advocated the use of plain packaging for cigarettes. Using research from the University of Nottingham, the study revealed that packs displaying the words 'smooth' and 'gold' were considered "lower tar and lower health risk" than regular packs.

Blackburn said: "We have no plans to introduce plain packs based, in our view, on compelling evidence that this would have serious negative effects on sales; impair our freedom to trade; and jeopardise the progress that has been made to curb the illegal trade of cigarettes."

However, JTI will be obliged to put graphic warning pictures, including rotting lungs and throat cancer, on its tobacco packaging from this month, to replace the written warnings that have motivated more than 90,000 smokers to call the NHS Smoking Helpline since their introduction in January 2003.

Blackburn said the Silk Cut super slims being launched in November carry the written warnings, but all products leaving the factory from 1 October 2010 would include the pictorial warnings.