Shopkeeper hits out at cigarette plain packaging plan

Plans to put cigarettes and tobacco in plain packaging have been criticised by a Whitstable shopkeeper.

Last month the government announced that the public consultation on tobacco packaging due to take place by the end of last year had been put back to the spring.

This means that it will come at the same time as supermarkets in England must comply with a law banning tobacco displays which comes into force on April 6.

Debbie Corris, who runs Jim Ingram’s in Tankerton Road, said that since it will be illegal to have cigarette packets on show it made no sense to insist they were also put into plain packaging.

"I just do not see why they are consulting on more legislation at the same time as this latest law comes into effect," she said.

"Why not wait to see how the ban on displaying cigarettes and tobacco goes and its effect before consulting on yet more laws."

Although supermarkets must cover up all cigarette displays by April 6 smaller shops such as Mrs Corris’s business do not have to comply until 2015.

Customers in England will still be able to buy cigarettes in the normal way but the ban – which was announced in 2008 – will mean all tobacco products will have to be kept under the counter or hidden behind a cover such as a fold back shutter.

If plans for plain packaging are passed it will mean that all cigarette packets are likely to be a pale beige colour, with the brand name in identical small lettering and in larger type the present health warning.

Mrs Corris said: "Restocking will be a nightmare as will selling. Some packets cost more than others but the names will all look the same so it will be easy to make mistakes.

"It will also be much harder to see which ones are fake.

"The whole thing is ridiculous. It applies to tobacco as well and almost all my pipe smokers are over 50.

"The government is trying to denormalise something which is perfectly legal and age restricted.

"If you are over 18 and decide to smoke you should be entitled to go into a shop and buy cigarettes just like anything else.

"Where will all this end? Why can’t people be allowed to make up their minds? It is just a step too far."