Hands Off Our Packs: number crunching
Wednesday, August 8, 2012 at 14:00 I last spoke to Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, in April.
We were in the Green Room at the ITV studios in London waiting to be interviewed on Daybreak.
The consultation on standardised packaging had yet to begin but two rival campaigns - Plain Packs Protect and Hands Off Our Packs - had already been launched.
At the heart of each campaign was a petition for or against plain packaging.
Each week PPP boasted of further signatures. A counter on their website kept visitors visibly informed.
One thousand signatures became 2,000, then 4,000. Suddenly it was 8,000, then 16,000.
Six weeks or so ago the number had reached 78,000 or thereabouts. The counter was then removed from the PPP website.
HOOPS meanwhile took a more modest approach. We kept our numbers to ourselves.
"Why?" asked Deborah in the Green Room. "Is it," she added casually, "because you're not doing very well?"
I smiled, bit my lip, and said nothing.
I can now reveal that this morning, at 10.20, 29 boxes were delivered to the Department of Health, Waterloo Road, London. They contained the names and addresses of everyone who has signed the Hands Off Our Packs petition since it was launched in February.
The delivery was conducted with (almost) military precision by a crack team of Forest operatives and I can now reveal (cue drum roll) that the total number of signatures collected and delivered to the DoH by HOOPS is ....
Oh, what the hell, here's the press release:
TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE SUPPORT PETITION AGAINST PLAIN PACKAGING
Over 235,000 people have signed a petition against plain packaging of tobacco.
The petition, organised by the Hands Off Our Packs campaign, was delivered today to the Department of Health.
Standardised packaging of tobacco is the subject of a public consultation that closes on Friday [10th August].
The Hands Off Our Packs campaign was launched in February by the smokers’ lobby group Forest which opposes the idea.
Head of the campaign Angela Harbutt said:
"Plain packaging is not about health. It’s about denormalising a legal product and stigmatising millions of consumers.
"People aren't stupid. They know that if tobacco is sold in dull, drab packets then alcohol, fast food and fizzy drinks will also be targeted.
“Over two hundred thousand people have spoken and the message is clear. Plain packaging is not welcome in Britain.”
She added:
“We were overwhelmed with requests from retailers, packaging companies and private individuals asking for petition pads and postcards.
"The result is one of the largest ever protests against excessive regulation and the nanny state.”
Simon Clark, director of Forest, said:
“There is no evidence that standardised packaging will have any health benefits. Advocates base their arguments not on facts but on speculation.
"This and other petitions against plain packaging represent a huge setback for anti-tobacco campaigners who argue that the measure has overwhelming public support.
“Given the strength of opposition to plain packaging, from retailers and shop workers to police officers and consumers, we urge the Government to reject this ill-conceived idea.”
More to follow on this story.
Reader Comments (6)
An excellent response! Even better than any of us might have expected.
At last, retailers are beginning to wake up to the fact that their livelihoods depend upon <I>their customers and not upon Tobacco Control. If only publicans had realised the same thing five years ago.
Well done to everyone involved. Just hope the Government now see sense and take notice of public opinion for a change.
Result! I just have a horrible suspicion, though, that this will prompt TC to magic some more signatures for their petition (you know, I wouldn't put it past them to suggest that previous signatories sign again but just slightly differently).
R4's 'You and Yours' today debated the issue:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/programmes/schedules/fm
I wonder if the BBC will mention it?
Tony, In short - no.
No Tony. They won't. They have covered every smoking ban and numerous PR exercises by Tobacco Control but only mentioned the partial ban reversal in Holland in an obscure radio piece, which was an excuse for ASH to claim that the Dutch rebellion was really the work of tobacco companies and nothing whatsoever to do with small bar owners not wanting to lose their businesses. The BBC is unfortunately not objective or impartial when it comes to reporting public health. But I suspect that you know that.