Polls, packaging and the general public
Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 12:40 Tobacco control is pushing hard to get plain packaging across the line if and when MPs vote next week.
A 'media briefing' issued by ASH yesterday claims the "public backs key tobacco control law".
Opinion polls have repeatedly shown strong public support for standardised packaging. An annual survey (“Smokefree Britain”) conducted by YouGov found that in the East of England 65% of adults polled supported the policy of requiring tobacco to be sold in plain standardised packaging with the product name in standard lettering, with only 10% opposing.
No doubt there are similar briefings for every region.
In response Forest released this response:
No public desire for plain packaging say campaigners
Campaigners opposed to plain packaging of tobacco products have rejected claims there is strong public support for the measure.
Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest which runs the Hands Off Our Packs campaign, said:
"According to a Populus poll published last month the public doesn't view the government’s plain packaging proposals as a priority.
"The public wants parliament to prioritise tackling immigration and terrorism, not plain packaging of cigarettes.
"Plain packaging legislation is an ill-judged sideshow and a distraction from the real challenges the government faces before the end of this parliament."
He added:
"Two-thirds of respondents to the government's 2012 consultation, which attracted over 665,000 responses, and 99 per cent of responses to last year's consultation, opposed plain packaging.
"Given that level of opposition it's scandalous the government is pressing ahead with the policy."
There's more detail on the Forest website here: No public desire for plain packaging say campaigners.
Btw, this is what I had to say at our recent event at the Institute of Directors:
Reader Comments (3)
The polls used by tobacco control to justify their positions appear to be designed to yield their desired result. Independent polls often yield different results. They polls used by tobacco control appear to be outright propaganda.
MPs will vote according to their own prejudice and far too many are openly smokerphobic and proud of it.
It is such a shame that David Cameron pandered to the minority on PP, who vote Labour anyway, and has lost the Conservatives the election. We'll end up being pushed around by The National Socialists in Labour and being ruled by the Scottish.
As far as I can see there is no difference at all between Tories, SNP. and Labour and I have to accept that we live in a dictatorship. That's why the only way to be left alone to live in peace without being attacked, harassed or abused is to leave the country for one that understands the meaning of tolerance and fair play - something Britain used to be proud of and something that used to make me proud to be British..
Britain continues to be a place where certain minorities are openly discriminated against and where the views of the majority go completely ignored in favour of groups such as "Smokefree Britain"
The smoking ban was introduced despite the majority of people being clearly against it. I am sure that PP will go exactly the same way.
We do live in a dictatorship, a bully state that's got no better under this govt which I feel let down by, but that will worsen tenfold when Labour wins the next election.
The best way to avoid their harassment and eventually being criminalised, is it to leave the country