FRESH, our regional anti smoking lobby group, is supporting standardised packaging as a further measure to reduce the number of young people who become addicted to smoking every year in the North East, where the average age of starting smoking is just 15 years old, but with some starting as young as nine.
Ailsa Rutter, director of FRESH, said: “This is another vital measure to take in our journey to help make smoking history for children. Smoking is an addiction that starts in childhood and it is not surprising when you see the number of colourful, attractive tobacco products being offered on the shelves – with packaging to look like make up and MP3 players.
“Evidence shows that young people are more likely to be attracted to glitzy, colourful tobacco packaging. There are also glamorous ‘fashion brands’ and ‘superslims’ available, popular with young female celebrities, which are particularly aimed at young women, exploiting beliefs around smoking, fashion and staying slim.
“Smoking still remains our biggest killer in the North East, with 11 deaths a day from smoking related disease. The tobacco industry is already fighting against Plain Packaging and pedalling a number of myths, including that it will fuel illicit tobacco, because they know that the introduction of plain packs will turn off the tap to a whole generation of young smokers, who will become addicted.
“FRESH is supporting the national Plain Packs Protect campaign, which we are running in partnership with ASH, the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK. If you would like to help us to protect a generation of young people from taking up smoking and a lifetime of addiction, you can sign up at www.freshne.com/plainpacks to have your say in the Government’s three month public consultation.”
Have a look at these images to see what cigarette packs currently look like and what standardised packs might look like.
These videos from the Brish Heart Foundation and Fresh help to explain the plain packs campaign as well.
