Government "has not yet taken a final decision" on plain packaging
Tuesday, September 2, 2014 at 12:47 As required, the Government has notified the European Commission of its draft regulations on standardised packaging.
According to a Notification Detail, circulated on Friday, "The draft Regulations relate to the retail packaging of hand rolling tobacco and the retail packaging and appearance of cigarettes …
"The objectives of a policy for standardised packaging would be to improve public health by:
- discouraging people from starting to use tobacco products
- encouraging people to give up using tobacco products
- helping people who have given up, or are trying to give up, using tobacco products not to start using them again
- reducing the appeal or attractiveness of tobacco products
- reducing the potential for elements of the packaging of tobacco products other than health warnings to detract from the effectiveness of those warnings
- reducing opportunities for the packaging of tobacco products to mislead consumers about the effects of using them
- reducing opportunities for the packaging of tobacco products to create false perceptions about the nature of such products
- having an effect on attitudes, beliefs, intentions and behaviours relating to the reduction in use of tobacco products
- reshaping social norms around tobacco use to promote health and wellbeing."
So far so bad. But here's the interesting bit: "The UK Government has not yet taken a final decision to introduce the Regulations."
That's right, four weeks after the conclusion of a "final" six-week consultation and two years after the original 16-week consultation, the Government still hasn't decided whether to introduce plain packaging.
Not publicly, anyway.
If the Government is playing a waiting game it's doing so for a reason. There is speculation for example that ministers don't want to alienate disgruntled Tory MPs at this sensitive time (pre-conference and pre-Clacton by-election).
Then again they don't want to give Labour the opportunity to accuse them of dragging their feet, hence the notification.
In other words, they're trying to keep everyone happy – for the moment, at least.
In a less politicised world no government would rush a decision like this. Like the 2012 consultation, the 2014 consultation attracted a huge response from members of the general public opposed to the policy. On top of that there are legal arguments (from other parties) that require long and serious consideration.
The EC notification is part of the process towards implementation but there's still everything to play for.
After all, if Portugal, Bulgaria and Slovakia can object to similar plans drawn up by Ireland, there's every chance they will object to the UK's regulations as well.
PS. Curiously the EC notification includes all manner of reference documents but doesn't include a report on the 2014 consultation.
Why not, and where is it? How can the Government notify EU member states of its regulations on plain packaging without including a report of the latest consultation on the issue?
It's also worth noting that the reference documents include a report of the Chantler Review but nothing that challenges that flawed report.
If the 2014 consultation report is to be considered objective and impartial it will have to mention some of the criticism of Sir Cyril's report. Won't it?
See: The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Product Regulations (European Commission)
Reader Comments (10)
The Govt made its mind up ages ago when the high salaried unelected, unaccountable, smokerphobic bullies in Public Health decided that the voting public must be ignored in favour of their own ideological beliefs.
Despite all the made up reasons for wanting plain packs, they can be summed up in one - "The aim is to force smokers to quit because we don't like what they do and we dislike industry so much we intend to start putting it out of business beginning with the tobacco companies."
This Govt is weak, pathetic, out of touch, led by metropolitan snobs and phobics and it still isn't learning that #WeSmokeWeVote.
Does it really have to suffer yet more humiliation in Clacton and elsewhere to find that out?
I noted that not one of the 9 reasons for plain packaging mentioned children. That was what it was supposed to be about ... err, wasn't it?
Because politicians have been radicalised by the anti-smokers, none of them can be trusted for re-election.
What always strikes me about these 'objectives' laid down by Public Health is that the people that they are supposedly acting in the interests of (ha ha), the smokers, don't actually get a look in.
They blithely make their plans for the further demonisation of tobacco without giving a thought to what the people who will be affected by their machinations feel about it. It's as if the people who enjoy smoking tobacco are on a par with a patch of vegetables, to be pruned and moulded, and if necessary uprooted to ensure a crop aesthetically to their liking. The idea that these targeted people are autonomous human beings who in reality should have the same rights to self-determination as themselves never seems to enter their tiny minds.
I think that aspect of 'Tobacco Control' pisses me off more than anything else. The arrogance that underpins their whole ethos and the assumption that they are somehow superior, and have the right to arbitrarily destroy peoples lives in the name of their warped ideology.
Come the revolution, they will be among the first up against the wall.
Why doesn’t somebody make a decision?
You know sometimes we can be too critical.
You see this government is thinking in everyone’s interest when making decisions and thinking about those decisions that have yet to be made based on further decisions that are in line with those decisions already made. That means deciding whether decisions made thus far are included in any decisions based on those decisions yet to be decided when finally deciding on these decisions when any such decisions are finally made.
So let’s just pull back and decide what decisions we all want to decide about before we make any decisions at all – OK?
Will somebody drop by and screw my head on the right way round…thanks.
Re Nisakiman's comment, it is 'the iron triangle' at work. The triangle in the UK is - Health Dept Zealots (the POWER), Academics (the JUSTIFICATION) and Big Pharma (the MONEY).
The word 'iron' is used simply to indicate the strength of the triangle - each element protects the others and excludes other interests - especially 'consumers', who are the despised lepers.
Is it not weird that Cameron et al are perfectly capable of deploying our armed forces offensively, but are incapable of deploying other forces to disarm the Zealots who are persecuting THE PEOPLE at home?
They're shivering in their boots that votes will slide over to drinking and smoking Mr Farage.
Poor lambs, its hard to know what to do when it comes down to votes.
Dennis, you sound like Sir Humphrey Appleby. Great fun. I quote from your post: 'You see this government is thinking in everyone’s interest when making decisions and thinking about those decisions that have yet to be made based on further decisions that are in line with those decisions already made. That means deciding whether decisions made thus far are included in any decisions based on those decisions yet to be decided when finally deciding on these decisions when any such decisions are finally made.'
Tobacco companies are spending big bucks trying to stop plain packaging but it won't work. Anyway why worry about what kind of pack your ciggies come in unless you're so dumb as to need help to identify a pack of Regal King Size? You'll still be free to buy as much tobacco as you want and poison yourself with it at your leisure, so stop moaning.
We're talking about choice. As a pipe smoker I already need a magnifying glass to discover from the lists accompanying shuttered displays to find out what brands are available. And they do vary. If similar restrictions applied to any other legal product, Mr McNair, maybe a beer or a marmalade you preferred, perhaps you would be incensed.