Think Tanks
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IEA - Evidence not on the side of regulating tobacco packaging
Commenting on the government's statement on standardised packaging of tobacco products, Mark Littlewood, Director General at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:
"The government should resist the urge to rush to
regulate. The early evidence from Australia, where plain packs have been
introduced, suggests this policy has not had any impact on youth smoking rates
- in fact, overall smoking appears to have risen.
"The government also needs to consider the wider possible consequences of
this policy. The Home Secretary should be asked to provide an opinion on the
likely impact on smuggling and the illicit trade in tobacco. The Treasury
should be asked to calculate the potential impact on tax revenues and legal
advice should be sought over whether there is any risk of the British taxpayer
footing a multi-billion pound compensation bill under international trade or
intellectual property laws.
“Once such advice is taken, it may well indicate that this is a hugely
expensive way to fail to tackle smoking rates amongst youngsters, with a
negligible or even negative impact on health."
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Notes to editors:
The
mission of the Institute of Economic Affairs is to improve understanding of the
fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role
of markets in solving economic and social problems.
The IEA is a registered educational charity and independent of all political
parties.