DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release issued by The Government News Network on 31 May 2008
THE FUTURE OF
TOBACCO CONTROL- CONSULTATION OUT 31st May
Plain cigarette packets with no branding or logos, minimum pack
sizes of 20 and a ban on the advertising of cigarette papers are
just some of the ideas up for discussion in a move to reduce the
number of people who smoke that was announced today.
The new Department of Health consultation document 'The
Future of Tobacco Control', which coincides with World No
Tobacco Day, aims to start a debate around further measures that
would stop people smoking and prevent young people starting to smoke.
The ideas and proposals in the consultation include:
* removing branding and logos from all tobacco packaging;
* having a minimum pack size of 20 - to stop young people, who
can only afford packs of 10, buying cigarettes;
* restricting access to cigarette vending machines by young
people - whether by banning vending machines altogether or through
systems that only allow adult purchase;
* restricting the display of tobacco products in shops. which may
include putting cigarettes under the counter; and
* banning the advertising of smoking paraphernalia, such as
cigarette papers..
The take up of smoking in young people is lower than a decade
ago, but over 200,000 of all under 16's start smoking each
year. As a result they are 3 times more likely to die of cancer
due to smoking than someone who starts in their mid-20s.
Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo, said:
"Protecting children from smoking is a Government priority
and taking away temptation is one way to do this. If banning
brightly coloured packets; removing cigarettes from display; and
removing the cheap option of a pack of ten helps save lives, then
that is what we should do - but we want to hear everyone's
views first.
"Smoking related disease kills 87,000 people a year, the
equivalent to the entire population of a major city such as
Durham. Despite much progress over the past ten years with 1.9
million fewer smokers since 1998, smoking it is still the biggest
killer in England. The number of smokers is declining but we must
do more if we are to continue to tackle a public health issue that
kills ten times more people a year in England than road traffic accidents."
The consultation is published today on World No Tobacco Day - for
which the theme is 'Tobacco-Free Youth'. The four main
consultation themes are:
* protecting children and young people from smoking;
* further reducing smoking rates and health inequalities caused
by smoking;
* helping smokers to quit; and
* helping those who cannot quit.
Research has shown that children and young people have been found
to be more receptive to tobacco advertising than adults, and that
since the ban on tobacco advertising, prominent displays at point
of sale have become vital as one of the few remaining means of
tobacco promotion. Evidence suggests that this can persuade
existing smokers to keep smoking and young non-smokers to start.
Since the ban on tobacco advertising, advertising at the point of
sale has become the main route for promoting cigarettes. The large
displays and advertising in shops can encourage young people to
start and make it more difficult for smokers to kick the habit.
Recent smoking stats show a 2 per cent drop in smokers in Britain
(22 per cent down from 24 per cent) and since the introduction of
the Smokefree legislation in July 07, an increase of 28 per cent
in quit attempts using NHS Stop Smoking Services.
The estimated cost to the NHS of treating smoke related illness
is between £1.4 and 1.7 billion per year.
Also revealed today is a new NHS Smokefree advertising campaign
which starts on Monday 2nd June. This is aimed at highlighting to
parents who smoke that children with smoking parents are three
times more likely to become smokers than those with parents who
are non-smokers.
Notes to editors:
1. For more information and images for the NHS Smokefree
advertising campaign, please call Daniel Smith at Fishburn Hedges
on 020 7839 4321.
2. The reference to the population of Durham is based on figures
from the 2001 census
3. The consultation can be found at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/index.htm