Plans for plain pack cigarettes and ban on multi-buy alcohol deals axed by ministers

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ministers.html

Plans for plain-pack cigarettes and ban on multi-buy alcohol deals axed by ministers

- Ministers have spent a year considering introducing plain packaging
- But they have decided there is not enough evidence it will put off smokers
- The Government has also shelved plans to ban multi-buy drinks deals

Axed: Plans to force firms to sell cigarettes in plain packaging, such as those sold in Australia (pictured), have been dropped

A proposed law to force firms to sell cigarettes in plain packets will be scrapped today.

Ministers have spent over a year considering the idea, which campaigners say is backed by a majority of MPs and the public.

But Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will tell Parliament there is not enough evidence it would have a significant impact.

It comes as the Home Office also prepares to scrap its planned ban on two-for-one drinks deals, another measure aimed at improving public health.

In Australia, the only country to adopt plain packaging, all cigarette packs are drab green, which research suggests non-smokers and young people find less appealing.

A Whitehall source said: ‘Only Australia has done it so far and they only did it at the end of last year. So it is not clear yet whether or not it would actually have any effect. It is very hard to tell, which is why it is being shelved for now.’

Smoking causes over 100,000 deaths a year in the UK. Last April, displaying cigarettes in supermarkets was banned, and this will be extended to all other shops from April 2015.

David Cameron supported plain packs at first, but the Government has cooled on the idea.

While health groups have called it a ‘golden opportunity’ to cut smoking-related disease, industry insiders say plain packs will lead to more counterfeit cigarettes and less tax revenue. Some Tory MPs condemned it as a ‘nanny state’ measure.

Not enough evidence: Whitehall said it was not clear whether plain packaging had any deterrent effect

The Prime Minister has also abandoned a ban on multi-buy drink offers, such as two-for-one or supermarket ‘meal deals’ with free wine, amid fears it would affect responsible consumers rather than problem drinkers.

The Home Office is expected to shelve the idea next week along with plans for a minimum alcohol price per unit of 45p.

A Government source said the ideas were ‘dead and buried’.

Instead, selling alcohol below cost price, or the rate of duty plus VAT, will be banned – affecting only a handful of products.

A victory for freedom.

Here's US Radio Talkshow host Michael Savage on Mayor Bloomberg who tried the same in New York (along with trying to ban soda drinks etc etc etc whilst at the same time promoting sex in schools and so on) -

Thoughts?

[-:Undertaker:-]

Ladies' Legs Cause Teen Pregnancy, Says Charity

In a press release today, the Campaign Against People ******** revealed new research in support of the proposed plain packaging of legs law, which will require women to hide their legs in voluminous pantaloons.

"We asked some blokes whether they find uncovered legs sexier", said Millie Prodnose of CAPS. "There was a very strong bias in favour of the bare legs."

The study found that plain packaged legs were considered "much less attractive" than bare ones. "So it's obvious", said Prodnose, "that if blokes are finding plain packaged legs less attractive, they will lose interest in them. So then there will be less ********, so, like, less pregnancies. Probably."

Opponents of the measure, who pointed out that these are two completely different variables, and that there's no evidence at all that packaging legs would reduce actual sexual encounters, were immediately shouted down as "shills for the Big Hosiery Industry" and told to go stand on the naughty step. Prodnose said, "We have an internal memo from Amalgamated Tights And Stockings's CEO in which he says they want to stay in business. If that isn't proof of a conspiracy, what is?"

Haha so true.

[Absently]

I'm pretty sure in Ireland, they're actually going to do the whole plain packet thing. Seems pretty silly imo, I don't think it's going to put kids off cigarettes as they're not exactly the nicest anyways

[lemons]

well it wouldn't put kids off anyway

didn't they do the same thing in australia..has it worked?

[FlyingJesus]

Plain packaging would have just made everyone buy the cheapest ones surely but yeah glad this hasn't gone ahead, same with the utterly ridiculous alcohol pricing suggestion which would have sent smaller brands and breweries out of business

[GommeInc]

It is a bit silly. If you take any type of product and plain package it people will still buy it. If Cadbury's were to change the packaging of their Caramel range, I'd still buy it because it's still the same chocolate underneath.

[Daltron]

We have plain packaging here in Australia now and trust me, it works. The appeal for so many 'young teenagers' has completely gone because they don't look kool carrying around a plain cardboard box.

---------- Post added 13-07-2013 at 10:42 AM ----------

Unfortunately I have no study to show that it works because it's been so recent which is probably why they wouldn't use us as an example to go ahead with it because it's unknown, but I think if you asked Australians it would be a pretty clear consensus that it works lol.