‘Plain packets discourage smoking’

Teenagers would be put off trying smoking if tobacco was sold in plain packets, health campaigners claim.

Research involving 15 and 16-year-olds found branded packets encourage young people to take up the habit, while smokers would try to quit if all packets were the same.

Health Minister James Reilly said it is unacceptable for a product that kills 5,200 Irish people a year to be packaged in a slim pink container like a perfume or lipstick.

“Given all we know about the dangers of smoking, we cannot allow deceptive marketing gimmicks to be used to lure our children into a deadly addiction that will ultimately kill half of those who become addicted.

“Standardised packaging is the next logical step in combating this public health epidemic.”

A coalition of charities and health groups has come together to lobby the Government to bring in laws making it illegal for cigarette companies to use colour, text, and size to market tobacco products.

Packets would instead be in colours like green or brown and emblazoned withlarge health warnings and images of disease.

Dr Reilly is expected to bring legislation in early next year to ban logos,branding, colours, graphics, and trademarks on cigarette packets, making Ireland only the second country to do so after Australia.

He lost his brother, a doctor and smoker, to lung cancer and his father, another smoker, suffered a stroke and was blind for the last 14 years of his life.

The research on teenagers’ views of cigarette marketing, jointly commissioned by the Irish Heart Foundation and Irish Cancer Society, found cigarettes on sale in Ireland communicate fun and style, and give the perception that a smoker looks and feels better about themselves.

It found cost plays a part in stopping teens buying premium brands, butappealing packaging has the power to incentivise a purchase, and communicate perceived benefits of one brand over another.

All teenagers surveyed said the unbranded packets were at odds with the image they want to portray.

They were shown cigarettes and asked to class them as rejected, acceptable and aspirational brands.

Key factors were colour, box and cigarette shape, pack imagery, and brandname, while some thought the positive brand attributes, such as glamour, fashion or job status, are projected on to the smoker.