Plain packets might go up in smoke

Plain packaging on cigarette boxes will not reduce smoking, despite the Irish Government’s intention to follow the UK’s lead.

Health Minister James Reilly has welcomed the publication in the UK of an independent review of the evidence for standardised tobacco packaging, and the UK government’s plan to publish regulations. Mr Reilly said this reaffirms Ireland’s commitment to standardised packaging. But no evidence has been produced that plain packaging will reduce smoking.

The latest figures from Australia indicate that tobacco usage has increased since the measure was introduced 15 months ago.

In 2013, the first full year of plain packaging, tobacco companies sold 21.074bn cigarettes in Australia, according to industry data provided by Marlboro maker, Philip Morris International.

That’s a 0.3% increase on 2012, and reverses four straight years of decline. Australia, which in December 2012 became the first country to ban branded cigarette packs, is being watched for signs of success, as Ireland explores similar measures. Plans by the Irish Government to introduce plain packaging laws on all cigarettes on sale here will not reduce the number of people smoking, but, instead, enable smugglers to move illegal cigarettes more easily without detection.

Irish Custom officials seized less than one in every 25 cigarettes smuggled into the country last year. Law enforcement agencies are struggling to keep up with increasingly sophisticated smuggling methods.

Cigarette smuggling costs the Irish economy nearly €700m every year, with massive profits going to criminal gangs and dissident republicans.

You can put all the security features you like on legal packs and if, at the same time, we cut criminals’ costs by giving them simple pack designs to copy — rather than elaborate packs with embossing, de-bossing, hot-foil stamping and graining — then it is the criminals that win, and will further fuel the illicit trade through unregulated distribution channels.

The expansion of the illicit trade in cigarettes and its effect on legitimate businesses are still to be addressed by all governments, notwithstanding the reduction in tax revenues that they will experience.

The packaging industry supports regulation, but this needs to be effective and no more should be introduced before the effects of previous measures, like the display ban, have been fully assessed.

Mike Ridgway

Former MD of Weidenhammer UK

England