CIGARETTES should be sold in plain packs, says Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Andrew Miller.
Mr Miller has called on the Government to follow the lead of their Australian counterparts and introduce plain, standardised cigarette packaging in the UK.
From December 1, cigarettes in Australia must be sold in dark olive brown packets covered in health warnings.
Health charities in the UK want the Government here to introduce similar legislation as research has shown plain packaging would reduce tobacco’s attractiveness, increase the effectiveness of health warnings and stop misleading claims about the harms of smoking.
The UK Government 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.
Mr Miller said: “Cigarette packaging is one of the last forms of marketing tobacco companies can still use to attract new customers.
“Australians have once again taken the lead on an important health issue – some years ago the stand of their sportsmen in wearing highly visible sunblock made using sunscreen the ‘cool’ thing to do.
“If we care about the health of people in our community then we should introduce plain, standardised packs in the UK and help stop the next generation of smokers being recruited.
“Smoking kills more than 100,000 people every year and smokers are twice as likely to have a fatal heart attack as someone who’s never smoked. 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.”
