March 11, 2015

expert reaction to Commons vote for standardised cigarette packaging

The House of Commons has voted by 357 votes to 113 to introduce standardised packaging for all cigarettes from 2016.

Prof. Linda Bauld, Professor of Health Policy at the University of Stirling, said:

“There are now more than 50 studies looking at the potential impact of plain packaging, conducted in a number of countries. There is also new evidence from Australia where the policy is in place. All the evidence suggests that plain packaging will do three things: reduce the appeal of smoking and the pack; reduce confusion about the harm from smoking that the colour, text and images on packaging can convey; and improve how noticeable and visible the health warnings on packs are.

“The tobacco industry claims that there is no evidence that this policy would work.  However we’ve looked at all the evidence and they are wrong. Alongside the other measures we already have in place to prevent smoking and help smokers quit, plain packaging will make a difference.”

Prof. Ann McNeill, Professor of Tobacco Addiction at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London, said:

“This is a historic decision. It closes off one of the last remaining routes that the tobacco industry uses to promote cigarettes as alluring and exciting and masking the fact that instead they cause illness, death and misery for smokers and their families.

“I congratulate the government for promoting the public’s health and protecting children from the tentacles of the tobacco industry in this way.”

Prof. Robert West, Professor of Health Psychology at University College London (UCL), said:

“Any MPs who vote against introducing standard packaging will be demonstrating that they place a higher value on tobacco industry freedom than the prospect of saving human lives.”

Prof. Sir Richard Peto, Professor of Medical Statistics at Oxford University, said:

“About half of all smokers will be killed by tobacco if they continue smoking, but stopping works. Smokers who stop before age 40 – preferably well before age 40 – avoid more than 90% of the risk.

“The UK has fewer tobacco deaths than before, but smoking still causes a quarter of all UK cancer deaths.”

Declared interests

Prof. McNeill is a co-author of a review of standardised packaging published in2013 and lead author of a forthcoming Cochrane review on standardised packaging.

Prof. Robert West: I have not and will not accept any kind of funds, payments or hospitality from companies that make e-cigarettes because of the risk of being perceived as tainted on that count. I undertake research and consultancy for companies that manufacture smoking cessation medications and licensed nicotine replacement products. My salary is funded by Cancer Research UK