/ Public Health Wales Position Statement

Plain Packaging for Tobacco Products

This position statement represents the views of Public Health Wales based on the best available evidence at the time or writing. It does not represent Welsh Government Policy. It has been produced to enable Public Health Wales employees to provide consistent professional advice to the public, our partners and our service users. Please check to see if a more recent version of this advice is available.

Public Health Wales believes that ‘the introduction of plain or standardised packaging has an important role as part of a wider set of tobacco control measures, for example restrictions on advertising and smoking in public places. It will contribute to the de-normalisation of smoking, reducing the appeal of smoking for children and young people. There is also a likely benefit in reducing the appeal of smoking to existing smokers, increasing the desire to quit.’

What is plain packaging?Plain or more accurately standardised packaging would mean that packs must be of uniform size and colour and must carry prominent verbal and photographic health warnings (typically covering a large proportion of the pack). No brand logos would be permitted on the pack or the cigarettes but the product name could be displayed in a small uniform font at the bottom of the pack.

Why is there concern about tobacco packaging? Retail tobacco packaging has been described as the last form of legal advertising for cigarettes and tobacco products and plain packaging removes this route for promoting brand identity and triggering the desire to smoke. Plain or standardised packaging has been identified as having the following potential benefits:

  • Branded packs have features such as distinctive colours, fonts and logos that detract attention from health warnings.Standardised packaging would remove such elements, which would help to make health warnings more effective1 & 2.
  • Tobacco companies can currently mislead smokers regarding the relative safety of their product, both in their pack design and bydescriptions such as mild, low tar, and smooth.Standardised packaging would remove this ability1 & 2.
  • Branded packs intentionally imply desirable product characteristics by variation in colours, font and dimensions. For example, smokers of ‘slim’ cigarettes are more likely to believe that some cigarettes could be less harmful. The uniformity of standard packaging would be unable to convey brand characteristics1 & 2.
  • Current packs are effective in promoting brand identity and are designed to appeal specifically to particular groups, including young people and women.For example, appeal to women by the use of pastel colours, and ‘slim’ cigarettes,conveypositive attributes such as glamour, slimness and attractiveness. Standardised packs would be incapable of promoting individual attributes aimed at specific consumer groups1 & 2.
  • Branded packs promote the product as high quality and satisfying, whereas smokers using standardised packs are more likely to perceive the tobacco as being of lower quality and less satisfying and are more likely to consider and prioritise quitting1 & 2.
  • Retail displays of branded packs are highly visible and can act as a trigger to smoke or to relapse. Plain packaging would diminish visibility, send signals that smoking is neither normal nor socially acceptable and contribute to a more supportive environment for those wishing to quit1 & 2.
  • Research from other countries has found that the most disadvantaged suburbs have a greater density of tobacco retailers in a broader range of outlets3, so people in such areas are likely to have higher exposure to advertising via branded pack displays. People living in disadvantaged areas where smoking is more prevalent could derive greater benefit from a change to plain packaging.

The tobacco industry has claimed that plain packaging will increase smuggling as packs will be easier to forge, but the industry’s own documents acknowledge that counterfeit producers find all currently existing packs easy to forge4.

National and International OpinionPlain packaging is supported by organisations including the BMA5, Faculty of Public Health6, Action on Smoking and Health7, Cancer Research UK8 and the British Lung Foundation9. The Australian Government10 has passed a law requiring plain packaging for cigarettes and several other countries including New Zealand, Scotland and Ireland are in the process of preparing legislation. The UK Government11 has deferred a decision and has commissioned an independent review of the likely impact on public health, particularly that of children. Other countries where similar legislation is being discussed include Canada, France, Norway, India and Turkey.

References

  1. Moodieet al. Plain tobacco packaging: a systematic review. London: Public Health Research Consortium, 2012. (last accessed 15/11/13)
  2. Moodieet al. Plain tobacco packaging research: an update. University of Stirling. September 2013. (last accessed 29/11/13)
  3. Dalglish E, McLaughlin D, Dobson A, Gartner C. Cigarette availability and price in low and high socioeconomic areas. Aust N Z J Public Health 2013;37(4):371-6. (last accessed 16/12/13)
  4. Joosens L. Smuggling, the tobacco industry and plain packs. Cancer Research UK. London. 2012. content/smuggling_fullreport.pdf (last accessed 20/11/13)
  5. BMA Statement: BMA call for plain tobacco packaging without delay. 11th November 2013. (last accessed 20/11/13)
  6. Faculty of Public Health. Standard packs news could protect children and save lives. FPH, 28th November 2013. (last accessed 2/12/13)
  7. Action on Smoking and Health. Briefing: Standard Packaging. February 2013. (last accessed 20/11/13)
  8. Cancer Research UK. Briefing for Parliamentarians. Protect children from tobacco marketing: Standardise tobacco packaging. April 2013. (last accessed 20/11/13)
  9. British Lung Foundation. Statement: Plain packaging for cigarettes. Undated. (last accessed 20/11/13)
  10. Australian Government. 2011. Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2011 – F2011L02644. (last accessed 15/11/13)
  11. Department of Health. Press release: Independent review of standardised packaging for tobacco. DoH, 28th November 2013. (last accessed 2/12/13)

Public Health WalesJanuary 2014