Fiona Bruce backs plain cigarette packs to protect health
Fiona Bruce, MP for Congleton, called on the UK Government to follow the lead of their Australian counterparts and introduce plain, standardised cigarette packaging in the UK.
Fiona has been a consistent campaigner for plain packaging since entering Parliament. She says: “I fully support the campaign for the introduction of plain packaging of tobacco products. It is vitally important that this is achieved to help prevent our young people taking up smoking - the key to preventing health damage through smoking is never to start. I am delighted that many people in my constituency have already taken action to support this. Attractive cigarette packs are an important marketing tool used by the tobacco industry and the plain packaging of tobacco products would give children one less reason to find smoking appealing.”
The UK Government has recently conducted a public consultation on the issue and is considering whether to bring forward legislation on standardising the packaging of tobacco products for the whole of the UK.
Over a thousand parents and residents in East Cheshire have supported a campaign to introduce plain, standardised tobacco packs. In total 1,145 local residents signed up to the Plain Packs Protect campaign to demand the end of glitzy cigarette packaging aimed at young people.
The responses have been sent to Government to inform the consultation on plain, standardised tobacco packaging, which ended in August. The consultation results are expected early next year (2013).
From the 1 December cigarettes in Australia must be sold in dark olive brown packets which are mostly covered in health warnings. Health charities in the UK, including the British Heart Foundation, want the UK Government here to introduce similar legislation.
Currently, tobacco companies can use distinctive colours, brand designs and logos on their packaging. Research has shown that plain packaging would reduce tobacco’s attractiveness, increase the effectiveness of health warnings and stop misleading claims about the harms of smoking. (1)
Tracey Paul, Advocacy Manager at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Smoking kills over 100,000 people every year and smokers are twice as likely to have a fatal heart attack as someone who’s never smoked. (2)
“Scientific evidence shows that removing the glitzy designs from cigarettes packs makes them less attractive. We should introduce legislation on plain, standardised packaging and stop this lethal product being marketed to young people.”
