Had to laugh at the plain pack lobby last week.
On Wednesday we had Cancer Research claiming 75,000 signatures in favour of standardised packaging. Then Plain Packs Protect tweeted that they had "over 170,000" which suggested a combined figure slightly above the Hands Off Our Packs total of 235,000 (which we had announced the previous day after CRUK reported their figure).
We then pointed out that, if you added the 30,000 signatures submitted by shop workers via the Tobacco Retailers Alliance, then the 'No' lobby actually had a minimum of 265,000.
Come Friday ASH was claiming that "more than 200,000 members of the public have responded to the Plain Packs Protect campaign", an increase of 30,000 in 48 hours.
Add CRUK's 75k and suddenly the 'Yes' lobby had leap-frogged the 'No' lobby yet again.
But wait. It was still not clear whether the PPP figure included the CRUK figure. Did it or didn't it?
Well, tonight the mystery appears to have been solved. A message on the Plain Packs Protect website declares:
A BIG THANK YOU
FOR HELPING PROTECT
OUR CHILDREN
203,114* Supporters
We would like to thank everyone who has shown their support for plain tobacco packaging. The Government consultation has now closed, and with over 200,000 sign ups, there’s a good chance we could all make a big difference to help protect our children from the dangers of smoking.
*This number reflects the total amount of people who have signed up to support the plain packaging of tobacco products, via the Plain Packs Protect Partnership (logos below), British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK websites.
So it's official. Despite having received over £460,000 of public money and having the full weight of Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, numerous PCTs and countless public health organisations behind them, Plain Packs Protect has raised fewer signatures than the Forest-run Hands Off Our Packs campaign.
Now that's what I call a result.
PS. We weren't the only ones who were bemused by PPP's antics last week. See Fun and games with calculators (Dick Puddlecote)
Also on the subject of plain packaging, I enjoyed reading Back of fag packet legislation (Think Scotland).
See Dick Puddlecote (again) here: Buying support at £2 a pop ... out of our taxes.
And even my old friend Madsen Pirie has pitched in: In praise of packaging (ASI blog)
Update: There's a good piece on The Commentator by Dave Atherton, Tobacco Control wins the gold medal for dishonesty on plain packaging.
See also: Anti-smoking campaigners 'hooked on legislation' (Chris Snowdon writing for Public Service Europe)