Government tobacco strategy puts plain packs back on agenda

Health secretary Andy Burnham has today outlined a new strategy to reduce the number of smokers from 21% to 10% of the population by 2010.

Alongside reviewing what locations should be smokefree and ensuring NHS support for all who wish to give up smoking, Burnham mooted the introduction of mandatory plain packaging.

“Now that we’ve banned advertising and will soon see an end to attractive displays in shops, the only remaining method of advertising tobacco is the packaging,” said Burnham.

“So we will carefully consider whether there is evidence for making tobacco companies use plain packets,” he said.

But the Tobacco Manufacturers Association has hit back at the government suggesting its proposals went against the goal of restricting illicit trade in tobacco.

Chief executive Christopher Ogden said measures such as tobacco display bans did nothing to meet health objectives but imposed restrictions on legitimate businesses and private citizens.

“It is contradictory to declare an intention to reduce illicit trade and then to favour ineffective measures that actually facilitate illicit trade,” he said.

Today’s announcement was reported to be planned before Christmas, but business secretary Lord Mandelson is said to have intervened to delay the publication on the grounds it could be damaging to UK business.

Other measures in the strategy include investment in overseas officers to stop the 200 million illegal cigarettes that enter the UK each year, stopping tobacco sales from vending machines and reviewing whether to extend no smoking legislation to enclosed public places such as building entrances.

What do you think about banning plain tobacco packaging? Will it have any effect on smokers’ habits? Let us know your views by leaving a comment below.

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