This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-11796903
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Make cigarette packaging plain, government urges | Make cigarette packaging plain, government urges |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Cigarette packets should have plain packaging to make smoking less attractive, ministers have suggested. | Cigarette packets should have plain packaging to make smoking less attractive, ministers have suggested. |
| The government plans to ask retailers to cover up displays of cigarettes from next year to protect children. | |
| But Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said it was wrong children were being attracted to smoking by "glitzy designs on packets" and that it made sense to consider "less attractive packaging". | |
| Campaign group Ash says this is "an enormous leap forward". | |
| The Department of Health is considering the idea of asking tobacco firms to put only basic information and health or picture warnings on their packets. | The Department of Health is considering the idea of asking tobacco firms to put only basic information and health or picture warnings on their packets. |
| Making the cigarette packets a plain colour would protect children from taking up smoking in the first place, it suggests. | Making the cigarette packets a plain colour would protect children from taking up smoking in the first place, it suggests. |
| It would also help support people who are trying to give up smoking, the department said. | It would also help support people who are trying to give up smoking, the department said. |
| 'Costs too high' | 'Costs too high' |
| Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said it was time to try a new approach. | |
| "The evidence is clear that packaging helps to recruit smokers, so it makes sense to consider having less attractive packaging. It's wrong that children are being attracted to smoke by glitzy designs on packets. | "The evidence is clear that packaging helps to recruit smokers, so it makes sense to consider having less attractive packaging. It's wrong that children are being attracted to smoke by glitzy designs on packets. |
| "We would prefer it if people did not smoke and adults will still be able to buy cigarettes, but children should be protected from the start. | "We would prefer it if people did not smoke and adults will still be able to buy cigarettes, but children should be protected from the start. |
| "The levels of poor health and deaths from smoking are still far too high, and the cost to the NHS and the economy is vast. That money could be used to educate our children and treat cancer," Mr Lansley said. | "The levels of poor health and deaths from smoking are still far too high, and the cost to the NHS and the economy is vast. That money could be used to educate our children and treat cancer," Mr Lansley said. |
| "We will shortly set out a radical new approach to public health in a White Paper." | "We will shortly set out a radical new approach to public health in a White Paper." |
| Martin Dockrell, director of policy and research at Ash (Action on Smoking and Health), said the industry calls packaging "the silent salesman". | |
| "They use it to seduce our kids and mislead smokers into the false belief that a cigarette in a blue pack is somehow less deadly than a cigarette in a red one. | "They use it to seduce our kids and mislead smokers into the false belief that a cigarette in a blue pack is somehow less deadly than a cigarette in a red one. |
| "By helping smokers who want to quit and protecting our children from the tobacco ad men this will be an enormous leap forward for public health, perhaps even bigger than the smoking ban," he said. | "By helping smokers who want to quit and protecting our children from the tobacco ad men this will be an enormous leap forward for public health, perhaps even bigger than the smoking ban," he said. |
| "The government accepts that packaging and tobacco displays influence young people, so there is no time to waste. It may take years to pass a new law on plain packs but the law on tobacco displays is already on the statute books and comes into force next year." | "The government accepts that packaging and tobacco displays influence young people, so there is no time to waste. It may take years to pass a new law on plain packs but the law on tobacco displays is already on the statute books and comes into force next year." |
| Recent research published in Tobacco Control showed that putting tobacco out of sight in shops not only changes young people's attitude to smoking, it also does not result in retailers losing money. |