Tobacco packaging 'targets teens'

Tobacco packaging has been developed to attract teenagers and children, according to a report. Cancer Research UK said its study reviewed industry documents from the last 50 years and claimed that some described how packaging had been developed to appeal to new smokers, notably teenagers, through its size, colour and design. The Packaging of Tobacco Products report will be considered as part of a UK-wide consultation on whether cigarettes should be stripped of their branding and sold in plain, standardised packets.

The report was published by the charity and the University of Stirling's Centre for Tobacco Control Research. Cancer Research UK launched its The Answer is Plain campaign, asking people to sign a petition to remove all branding from tobacco packaging. It has released a video which shows a group of 10-year-old children discussing cigarette boxes, to illustrate how young people are affected by the different colours and designs. Some of the children's comments include: "It makes you feel like you're in a wonderland of happiness", "It reminds me of a Ferrari", "Is that the Royal sign?" and "Yeah. Pink, pink, pink".

The charity said it held eight focus groups with around 50 15-year-olds in each, which found "clear differences" between boys and girls when asked to pick their favourite packs. Vicky Crichton, Cancer Research UK's public affairs manager in Scotland, said: "In Scotland, 24% of adults are smokers, which is higher than the British average. We know many Scots take up the habit young and this report shows that children are drawn to the colourful and slick designs without having a full understanding of how deadly the product is inside the pack." Ovarian cancer survivor Rosa Macpherson, 55, from Alloa, started smoking at the age of 12.

The mother of one said: "I can certainly remember as a child the impact that different cigarette packs had on me when I was starting to smoke. The cigarettes I picked were long and slim, elegant I thought, and presented in a glamorous-looking pack that fitted snugly in my handbag. But cigarettes are not toys or fashion statements. They turn your fingers and teeth yellow, are incredibly addictive and, ultimately, they kill people. They shouldn't be presented in a way that is attractive in any shape or form." Professor Robert West, Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco research at University College London, added: "The research evidence is compelling that cigarette packaging is attractive to young people.

Once the young person tries smoking, nicotine has a chance to do its work in turning him or her into an addict." However, Tory health spokesman and deputy leader Jackson Carlaw cautioned against the introduction of plain packaging. Mr Carlaw said that smoking was "the biggest public concern we have still in Scotland and the United Kingdom" but he said he did "not particularly support this measure".