Another day and another study designed to convince ministers that plain packaging is A Good Thing:
Women say they get less satisfaction and less enjoyment from smoking cigarettes that come in plain, standardised packs - according to new research released today (Thursday).
The study – by researchers at Stirling University – included 187 young female smokers from across Scotland who used plain brown cigarette packs as they went about their daily lives.
Researchers wanted to examine the extent to which young women smokers are influenced by the aesthetic appeal of packaging by comparing their responses to using the plain packs for a week to their responses of using their own regular packs for a week.
Women in the study said they were more embarrassed about smoking from plain packs and felt more negative about smoking from the plain packs, even though they were smoking their regular cigarettes.
Women involved in the study also reported smoking fewer cigarettes, stubbing out cigarettes early, smoking less around others and thinking more about quitting when using the plain packs.
See: Removing branding from cigarette packets stubs out their appeal (Cancer Research)
Luckily we got advance notice of the press release, which was embargoed until midnight, yesterday morning and issued the following response:
CAMPAIGNERS CONDEMN “SEXIST” STUDY
Campaigners opposed to plain packaging of tobacco have described as “sexist” a study that says young female smokers get less satisfaction and less enjoyment from smoking cigarettes that come in plain, standardised packs.
Hands Off Our Packs campaigner Angela Harbutt, a smoker, said: “The idea that plain packaging will have a greater impact on young women suggests that women are more easily influenced than men.
“This is not only an outdated view of women, it’s also incredibly sexist.
“Women can think for themselves and if they enjoy smoking, as many do, the packaging will make no difference.
“It may influence which brand they buy, but not their habit.”
According to researchers at Stirling University, women in the study said they were more embarrassed about smoking from plain packs and felt more negative about smoking from the plain packs, even though they were smoking their regular cigarettes.
The same women allegedly reported smoking fewer cigarettes, stubbing out cigarettes early, smoking less around others and thinking more about quitting when using the plain packs.
Harbutt added: “This is perfectly normal behavior but it doesn’t last.
“When graphic warnings were introduced there was some initial shock value but consumers, men and women, very quickly ignored them. The same will happen with cigarettes that are sold in standardised packaging.
“That’s why tobacco control campaigners come up with increasingly desperate and potentially counter productive initiatives like standardised packaging that many experts believe will encourage illicit and counterfeit trade.
“Whether you are a man or a woman, if people want to smoke the packaging is irrelevant, and it’s patronising to suggest otherwise.”
It's well past midnight now and apart from the Cancer Research website I haven't seen any reports of the study online, but it's early days. I'll keep you posted.
What is clear is that there's a huge push going on to convince the Government to include plain packaging in the Queen's Speech on May 8, and health minister Anna Soubry is doing her very best to push it through.
Will it be enough?
Update: The Scotsman has the story here – Plain cigarette packaging ‘puts women off smoking’ – with a brief comment from Forest.