The public health minister Jane Ellison told the House of Commons
today (3 April) the ban on branded packaging would move forward as
“swiftly as possible” following a short consultation. Draft regulations
will follow along with details of when the changes will take place, she
added.
The plan comes after a “compelling” review, commissioned
by the government last November, revealed plain packaging would curb the
number of child smokers. If the rate of children smoking was reduced
even by 2 per cent, for example, it would mean 4,000 fewer children
taking up smoking each year, the report found.
Ellison said: “In
light of this report and the responses to the previous consultation in
2012 I am therefore currently minded to proceed with introducing
regulations to provide for standardised packaging. I intend to publish
the draft regulations, so that it is crystal clear what is intended,
alongside a final, short consultation, in which I will ask, in
particular, for views on anything new since the last full public
consultation that is relevant to a final decision on this policy.”
Health
charities including the British Heart Foundation welcomed the green
light to strip tobacco products of their branded designs.Tobacco brands,
however, claim it would be a boon for criminals selling counterfeit
goods.
A spokesman from the Tobacco Manufacturers Association
(TMA), which represents the UK’s tobacco sector, said it was “extremely
disappointed” with the plan and claimed there is no “credible evidence”
that plain packaging would improve public health.
He added: “Plain
packaging will simply lower the barriers to entry for criminals, as
tobacco products would become far easier and cheaper to copy, adding to
the £7.9m per day in tax revenue that is currently lost to the illegal
tobacco market. Australia is the only country to have introduced plain
packaging and the illegal tobacco market has increased markedly, whilst
smoking rates have remained the same.”
The Government pushed back
on making a decision on plain packaging last summer, when it said
further evidence was needed before considering legislation.
Britain’s
tobacco market is worth around $28bn (£16.9bn) annually, according to
market intelligence firm Euromonitor International.
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