9 things you wanted to know about plain packaging…

02 September 2014

…but didn’t want to look stupid asking in front of your colleagues.

1. What is plain packaging?

It basically means cigarette packs where all colours and branding are removed, and replaced by a ‘drab’ colour like olive green or grey. The manufacturer’s name would be printed on the front in a plain, uniform font and size, so that he only difference in appearance between packs would be the brand name.

2. How plain is plain packaging?

Not that plain. All cigarette packs would show a large and suitably off-putting picture, as well as an anti-smoking or health warning such as DON’T LET CHILDREN BREATHE YOUR SMOKE. That’s why you might have heard people calling them ‘standardised’ packs instead.

3. What’s the point?

The point is that cigarette packets remain a powerful marketing tool, and one that particularly appeals to children and young people (if you don’t believe us, here’s a video of some children talking about cigarette packets. If you still don’t believe us, read this 64 page independent review conducted by Sir Cyril Chantler, prominent paediatrician.)

Over the past few decades, health lobbies have been struggling to stop tobacco companies from advertising cigarettes as cool, desirable, trendy, soothing – and this could be the final obstacle.

4. Would it work?

The short answer is, yes. Aside from numerous independently reviewed studies saying it would, the most compelling argument probably comes from Australia.

Australia introduced plain packaging at the end of 2012, and studies of the results have been positive. Some estimates put the annual decrease in tobacco use as high as 5%, while the country has seen a steady increase in calls to smoking helplines, and smokers have been shown to be more likely now to hide their packs from children.

5. What are the tobacco companies saying?

They don’t like it. They say that standardized packaging won’t work, is destruction of their property, and will be easier to counterfeit. In fact, they’ve been fighting plain packs hard through a variety of dubious means for years, including paying for an organisation of small shopkeepers to oppose plain packaging.

A scare campaign by Japan Tobacco International

6. What does the UK government think?

Broadly speaking, they think it’s a pretty good idea. The government started considering the case for standardized packs in 2010, and after years of swithering recently concluded that there’s a strong public health case for the new packs, aided largely by the independent Chantler review.

Plans for the introduction of plain packs are on track, but anything could happen. For example, international tobacco giant Philip Morris have just announced they’ll try and sue the UK government for ‘billions’ if standardized packs go ahead, which is obviously disconcerting. They’re also taking on the governments of Australia, Thailand and Uruguay.

The Scottish government, meanwhile has stated that it’s committed to implementing plain packs, and that it will take plain packs forward even if Westminster fails to do so.

7. And what do the good people of the UK make of all this?

UKIP complaints aside, it looks like the general public also think standardized packs are a pretty good idea. An independent YouGov poll of 10,000 adults showed that only 11% of UK adults oppose plain packs, while only 6% thought that the tobacco industry could be trusted to tell the truth.

The Scots also support plain packs, with only 11% of YouGov survey-takers saying they would oppose them.

Having said that, a 158,000-strong petition to oppose the packs has been collected by a group called Forest (The Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco). Incidentally, Forest also receives 96% of its funding from four tobacco companies.

There are also loud voices such as this one at The Telegraph which laments the bygone glory days of being allowed to smoke in airplanes. These voices can, for the most part, be safely ignored.

8. I’ve heard standardised packs will be easy to counterfeit. Will they?

No easier than any other kind of cigarette pack. Aside from the fact that plain packs aren’t that plain, counterfeiters have become so good at what they do that sometimes “forensic experts are needed to spot bogus products.” *

On top of that, Phillip Morris International have said themselves that even the most sophisticated tax stamps can be copied by counterfeiters within three weeks.

Meanwhile,the evidence from Australia has shown that the introduction of plain packs has had little effect in increasing the smuggling of illicit tobacco.

The reality is that all cigarette packages are easy for professional counterfeiters to copy – everyone should be good at something – and standardised packs will not make any difference.

9.Where can I learn more?

Just visit the ASH Scotland Standardised Packaging site which has loads of straightforward information and links. Also be sure to share this page with your friends. Sharing, after all, is caring – except when it involves second-hand cigarette smoke.

*Balfour F, The global counterfeit business is out of control, Cover Story, Business Week, February 7, 2005, 44-51