Thousands in East Lancashire call for cigarette package changes (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Thousands in East Lancashire call for cigarette package changes
7:00pm Sunday 2nd December 2012 in News
THOUSANDS of East Lancashire residents have called for changes to cigarette packaging.
More than 2,500 people in the area have backed calls for a new law to make packets of all tobacco products plain, according to a survey by Cancer Research.
A similar law came into place in Australia on Saturday, and the British government is the first in Europe to commit to a public consultation on this issue, with a report expected early next year.
In Australia, all tobacco must now be sold in drab, olive packs with new larger and more shocking picture health warnings.
One mum from Burnley who has thrown her weight behind the Plain Packs Protect campaign, said British brands should follow the Australian.
Emma Gardner said some ‘glitzy’ packaging was misleading and made certain brands appear healthier than others.
She said: “The less attractive they can make cigarette packets look to young people then so much the better. It looks like these packs are designed to suggest that it’s okay to smoke aged 14.”
Karen Thompson, joint director of public health for NHS East Lancashire, said: “The response from the public across East Lancashire has been excellent.
“Many of the people who have signed up don’t smoke and are not familiar with what packs look like but, once they see some of the packs that are currently on sale, they are shocked.
“They understand how the packs appeal to young people as the ‘silent salesman’.”
But the smokers’ lobby group, Forest, which runs the Hands Off Our Packs campaign, believes plain packaging is an attempt to ‘denormalise’ a legal product and ‘stigmatise’ consumers.
An estimated 500,000 people have registered their opposition to the introduction of plain packaging in the UK.
Director Simon Clark said: “The decision in Australia won't make any difference to our campaign.
“We support all reasonable attempts to discourage children from smoking, but putting cigarettes in plain packs is pointless.”
Comments(20)
alphadelta
says...
8:02pm Sun 2 Dec 12
clickhere
says...
8:26pm Sun 2 Dec 12
entrepreneur is designing a 'glitzy' cover for the 'plain packs' proposed.
Remember when it was quite cool to carry your fags in a slim silver cigarette case and ignite them with a designer Ronson lighter!
Such simple pleasures are a thing of the past, unless the law of unforeseen circumstances makes a millionaire out of our budding entrepreneur!
jim 2012
says...
8:30pm Sun 2 Dec 12
were can we see this response?
has it gone on line
2 for 5p
says...
9:03pm Sun 2 Dec 12
Don't get me wrong I think smokers are inept shallow weak losers.
However I think the way alcohol and tobacco are going at the moment are extreme there is all sorts of levs and restrictions being putting on them, yet at the same time drugs are being ignored.
If this continues it won't be long before tags and beer are banned and drugs are legal.
Come on sheeple do something.
Info-warrior
says...
10:11pm Sun 2 Dec 12
2 for 5p wrote:If it as got that bad you have to hide the cigs behind locked shuttered cabinets in plain packaging maybe this government should ban the sale of cigs completely and not collect the taxes they desperately need from the sale of those cigs they're so desperate to hide away.
CRACKERS:
Don't get me wrong I think smokers are inept shallow weak losers.
However I think the way alcohol and tobacco are going at the moment are extreme there is all sorts of levs and restrictions being putting on them, yet at the same time drugs are being ignored.
If this continues it won't be long before tags and beer are banned and drugs are legal.
Come on sheeple do something.
The sheeple are walking blingfolded into Authoritarianism.
wrinkles
says...
1:53am Mon 3 Dec 12
jack daniels
says...
6:49am Mon 3 Dec 12
halfhearted
says...
7:53am Mon 3 Dec 12
When will those in power wake up and tackle the real issues,those that the majority wish for.
happycyclist
says...
8:41am Mon 3 Dec 12
lwg76
says...
9:37am Mon 3 Dec 12
Caspar the ghost
says...
10:04am Mon 3 Dec 12
Simples!!
Who wins.-..yes the tax man as it wll put up the cost of cigs and give more money to the chancellor.
Simples (the same as the people who agree with such utter control tripe.)
woolywords
says...
10:07am Mon 3 Dec 12
Whilst I am prepared to allow a little extra to be carried, those that are above say, 10lbs overweight, should face a tax conmensurate with the mass. This fat tax should be channeled directly to the NHS, where it can be used to pay for things like reinforced ambulances, wider trolleys, reinforced beds, lifting gear and the like.
The morbidly obese should be made to live on the upper floors of a tower block, where the lift doesn't work and restricted times in supermarkets. This means that only a few fatties are choking up the aisles at any one time and not going around the store like a pod of beachless whales.
Lose the lard, chubby! Fat tax now!
superfly agaric
says...
10:23am Mon 3 Dec 12
clickhere wrote:Canada has had this type of packaging for years and you buy 'bikinis' for your packs to cover up the health warnings.
Even now, a thrusting young eBay internet
entrepreneur is designing a 'glitzy' cover for the 'plain packs' proposed.
Remember when it was quite cool to carry your fags in a slim silver cigarette case and ignite them with a designer Ronson lighter!
Such simple pleasures are a thing of the past, unless the law of unforeseen circumstances makes a millionaire out of our budding entrepreneur!
If people want to smoke, they will. If they don't like the gruesome packets - they'll cover them up or put them in cases.
I would gladly like to see a return to long cigarette holders, silver cases and ostentatious lighters. They would go well with tracksuit bottoms and rockport boots outside the dole office.
IDONTKNOW2012
says...
11:05am Mon 3 Dec 12
IDONTKNOW2012
says...
11:06am Mon 3 Dec 12
clickhere
says...
11:20am Mon 3 Dec 12
halfhearted wrote:Not far of enough to elect a Police and Crime Commissioner, though.
A total of 2,500 are in favour of this plain packaging.This hardly puts a dent in the total population of the area,does it now. But as usual the minority will win in this undemocratic society.
When will those in power wake up and tackle the real issues,those that the majority wish for.
Like other posters above, would like to see the details of the survey to see if the Telgraphs strident claims that thousands of people hereabouts first priority is to get ciggies sold in plain packaging.
clickhere
says...
11:22am Mon 3 Dec 12
clickhere wrote:Typo sorry - "Not far OFF enough to elect a PCC."
halfhearted wrote:Not far of enough to elect a Police and Crime Commissioner, though.
A total of 2,500 are in favour of this plain packaging.This hardly puts a dent in the total population of the area,does it now. But as usual the minority will win in this undemocratic society.
When will those in power wake up and tackle the real issues,those that the majority wish for.
Like other posters above, would like to see the details of the survey to see if the Telgraphs strident claims that thousands of people hereabouts first priority is to get ciggies sold in plain packaging.
AnthonyUK
says...
12:24pm Mon 3 Dec 12
ng to sell those goods ever again and it should also be an imprisonable offence for parents/family members to.give cigarettes to under18s too.
AnthonyUK
says...
12:24pm Mon 3 Dec 12
ng to sell those goods ever again and it should also be an imprisonable offence for parents/family members to.give cigarettes to under18s too.
mavrick says...
7:52pm Sun 2 Dec 12