Government decision "shocking" says ASH
Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 13:30 I would love to have been a fly on the wall at ASH HQ this morning.
Here's their response to today's report in the Sun: Plain cigarette packaging U-turn ‘shocking’, claim heath campaigners (Metro):
ASH CEO Deborah Arnott omits one key factor, of course. There is not a shred of credible evidence that plain packaging will reduce smoking rates or discourage children from smoking so all this nonsense about reducing deaths and improving health is exactly that – nonsense.
The Metro report also includes a quote from Forest, although it omits a key sentence. The full quote reads:
"We welcome the news, if it's true. Plain packaging has nothing to do with health. There is no evidence that it would make any difference to youth smoking rates but it could do enormous harm to small businesses, especially in the packaging industry, and help drive illicit trade."
"We’re pleased that the prime minister has apparently recognised this and has listened to the hundreds of thousands of people who expressed their opposition to standardised packaging in the government consultation."
The government is going to come under enormous pressure over the next few days. Let's hope ministers hold their nerve.
The fact that Labour is urging David Cameron to change his mind ought to persuade him that he has made the right decision, if indeed he has made a decision.
Watch this space.
PS. Someone has rightly pointed out that Metro's headline is inaccurate because the Government could only be accused of doing a U-turn if it had already made a decision to introduce plain packaging, and the PM announced weeks ago that it hadn't.
Update: Government denies scrapping plan for plain tobacco packs (The Grocer).
Perhaps that should read 'Department of Health denies scrapping plan for plain tobacco packs'!
Reader Comments (6)
That Labour can support the deliberate destruction of 80,000 jobs is despicable and representative of why they've lost the core working class vote.
The only people who think that playing fair to consumers, industry and workers, is "shocking" are professional anti-smokers who jobs and funding paid by tax payers and the tobacco industry competitor Big Pharma depend on "Denormalisation" and the public health hate campaign.
The general normal public doesn't care and thought the whole idea stupid, unreasonable, and likely to do nothing to stop youth smoking which would have flooded to the easily accessible black market.
That Andy Burnham says nothing about Labour's NHS murdering the elderly with neglect at Staffs among other places, also shows his bigotry. He doesn't "care" about "saving lives". He is just a bigot who hates tobacco and people who consume it.
Well done David Cameron - don't lose your nerve and let these awful bullies win.
The Daily Mail have the story on it now
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2318409/Cigarettes-NOT-sold-plain-packaging-Cameron-ditches-plan-designed-deter-young-people-smoking.html
with comments
Can it be that with UKIP gaining momentum AND putting the smoking ban back on the political map, that Cameron et al are actually recognising that keeping Public Health happy is not actually a good idea?
We can but live in hope....
Poor old Debs. Must be a bit of a shock to find the Govt. not toeing her line. Sleepless nights ahead worrying what's next. Bit ironic, though, to see a Govt. funded agency failing to successfully lobby said Govt. Surely a reason to ditch them, failing at your job. Well, it would be anywhere else.
Whilst I'm tempted to think at the moment it's just a large stutter in the game, the way things are going economically, financially and politically, it could well be a watershed.
60% of people support plain packs, really?
Evidence please, real evidence.
I think its more like 75% of people don't care less.
Only the troughing health lobby relies on nonsense like this to fuel their spite and their purse.
You're too right there Pat.
I wrote to Andy Burnham when he was Health Secretary and asked him to explain how he could "tar all smokers with the same brush."
The reason being, my sister is a triathlete and attends A&E, hospitals and her GP on a regular basis. She costs the state thousands.
I have yet to have a response, some 5 years later.