UK supreme court denies tobacco firms permission for plain packaging appeal

All cigarettes sold in the UK must have standardised packaging from next month after the supreme court refused permission to the tobacco industry to appeal against the new laws.

This is the final domestic legal decision, meaning that plain packaging of cigarettes will come into force on 20 May, the Department of Health said.

Rules requiring tobacco to be packaged in drab, dark brown packs with no graphic branding came into effect in May 2016, with branded packs subsequently being phased out.

Tobacco companies went to the supreme court after the court of appeal last November rejected their attempt to prevent the introduction of mandatory plain packaging of cigarettes in the UK.

British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Philip Morris International claimed that the law would infringe their human and intellectual property rights.

The new packs are the same shape, size and colour, with two thirds of the front and back surfaces covered by pictorial health warnings, and written warnings on the sides.

The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, welcomed the supreme court’s decision, saying: “Standardised packaging will cut smoking rates and reduce suffering, disease and avoidable deaths.”

Smoking remains the biggest cause of premature mortality in the UK, killing more than 100,000 Britons annually, despite Public Health England figures showing a decline in the number of smokers to fewer than one in six adults.

Widespread use of e-cigarettes, nicotine patches and gum helped a record 500,000 smokers kick the habit in 2015, the agency said, bringing the number of ex-smokers in England to 14.6 million.

In 1974, more than half of men in Britain smoked, but that fell in England to just 19.1% by 2015. The rate for women declined from just over 40% in 1974 to only 14.9% in 2015.

The chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, said: “Smoking is the biggest preventable killer in this country and this legislation will save lives, so I am thrilled that the tobacco industry will not be allowed to appeal. After years of hard work, I look forward to seeing this policy now brought in, and smoking numbers fall even further.”

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the health charity Ash (Action on Smoking and Health UK), said the ruling finally ended attempts by “big tobacco” to overturn the UK legislation on standardised packaging.

“This is the latest in a long line of crushing legal defeats for the tobacco industry. Over the years the industry has squandered many millions of pounds of its own money in futile legal challenges, but worse still it has wasted public time and money, which could have been much better spent improving public health.”

In a sign that tobacco companies acknowledge that the tide of public opinion is turning against them, the boss of Marlboro maker Philip Morris has predicted a “phase-out period” for cigarettes.

André Calantzopoulos made the comments in November as the company launched a new product it claimed was less harmful than traditional smoking. The iQos heats tobacco but does not burn it, releases fewer toxins and is capable of replacing cigarettes in the long term, according to Philip Morris.

However, campaigners and analysts questioned whether e-cigarettes or other products such as the iQos would ever replace cigarettes.

Arnott said at the time: “Philip Morris claims to be moving towards a post-smoking future but, like other tobacco companies, it is still actively promoting smoking around the world, using methods that would be illegal in the UK.”

UK supreme court denies tobacco firms permission for plain packaging appeal

Nine Everyday Uses For Plain Old White Vinegar

We all run into situations where we end up using chemical products we don’t want to use. So, it’s nice to know there’s a safer alternative. Trusty old vinegar, especially white vinegar, can solve many of those problems without side effects. Here are nine ways to use it at home.

White Vinegar vs Cider (or other) Vinegar vs Cleaning Vinegar

Not all vinegars are equal. One reason why I specify white vinegar rather than apple cider or other kinds of vinegar is price. White vinegar only costs about $ 2.50 a gallon. Another is because other vinegars have residues in them. The same apple cider vinegar with the “mother” that is so beneficial when consumed, will clog the tiny openings in your nebulizer. It might leave smelly residue on your pets, or particles on your bathroom shower walls or door. Why pay more when white vinegar gives better results?

Most white vinegar is 5% strength. Another product, called cleaning vinegar, is a bit stronger at 6%. Cleaning vinegar has a bit more punch, but watch the price. At $ 5/gallon, it’s not THAT much better. At $ 3/gallon, it’s a deal.

Personal Uses for Vinegar

Vinegar to Prevent Cellulitis

This trick is one I figured out when my lower leg flared up on a weekend when the doctors’ offices were closed. I’d had cellulitis before and didn’t want it to progress to the infection stage. But it wasn’t worth a trip to the emergency room, either.

I figured that it couldn’t hurt to try the vinegar treatment – better that than do nothing. After soaking a dishtowel in vinegar (I could have used any type of vinegar as the residue wouldn’t make a difference,) I wrung it out and wrapped it around my ankle and lower leg for about 30 minutes. It worked. The inflammation went down right away and it didnt feel hot anymore. I did this again the second day, and my leg returned to normal by the third day.

Caution, though. If you do this and don’t get noticeable results within an hour or two of the first application, do seek medical care. If it’s hot and tender, definitely go to an urgent care or the emergency department. People have been hospitalized for cellulitis.

Vinegar to Remove Dry Skin

One outcome of treating the cellulitis was that the some of the vinegar dripped down to my foot. After 30 minutes of that, my dry, “summer foot” callouses began to break down. After scrubbing them with a washcloth to remove the vinegar-saturated, calloused skin, I was down to nice, soft skin on my feet. Compared to using lotion, which often took several applications, over several days, resulting in only partial softening the vinegar worked in less than an hour.

I’ve noticed, also, that anytime I work with vinegar, my hands are softer. And that’s better than using chemical laden lotions.

Vinegar as Pet Wash and Flea Killer

Like most cats, Mr. Mooo hates baths, so, we keep this torture as short as possible. This is as much for our benefit as his – he’s been known to draw blood the longer he’s kept wet. Judging from his angry eyes and iron grip on the edge of the sink (if not my arm,) I’m sure he hates this, but it cleans him nicely and leaves his fur extra soft.

While he rarely has fleas, we found that washing him with plain white vinegar kills any fleas he does have, immediately. They fall off easily during rinsing.

While, even with a thorough rinsing, he might smell vinegary for a while, the smell goes away completely once he’s dry. It also rinses off much easier than pet shampoo, so he, and we, are in and out much faster. And if he gets away before he’s completely rinsed, the vinegar won’t hurt him. I don’t know how licking off shampoo would affect cats, but it can’t be or taste good.

If you’re camping or RVing and have to wash your pets, especially outside, white vinegar is a godsend. No one’s going to care if you rinse a vinegar soaked dog in a river, or from a hose in the camping area.

Vinegar IS a weed-killer, so rinse where nothing desirable is growing, like a lawn or flower bed. Most RV slips have patios, dirt or graveled areas where you wouldn’t want weeds growing anyway, so you can knock out two jobs at once this way.

Practical Uses for Vinegar

Vinegar as Weedkiller

Speaking of weed-killer, white vinegar is a perfect choice. It’s natural, so no chemicals. Mix it with some magnesium and your weeds will wilt in about a day, and you’ll do no harm to the environment, people or critters. But, it can also kill off plants and grass that you want to keep, so apply it directly on the weeds you want to kill.

Vinegar to Remove Hard Water Stains

One day my husband decided to clean the shower door with vinegar instead of the chemical products we usually used for this purpose. Hard water is the toughest thing to clean in a shower, but white vinegar makes it a snap to clean off.

He was amazed at how easily and thoroughly it cleaned everything. It’s even easier when you use one of those Mr. Clean white sponges. But even with a regular or scrubber sponge, it works so nicely that I wonder how commercial products ever made it to the shelves. No chemicals, no smells, no fumes. And it disinfects, too.

Vinegar for Cleaning the Stove 

Easy-off and similar products clean ovens, stove tops, grills, very nicely. But they give off toxic fumes, and an RV is so small a space that everyone has to get out if they want to breathe safely.

On the other hand, good old white vinegar can cut right through those burnt spots. Well, not right through, but spray it with vinegar and let it sit a while. Then scrub it off with a scrubber sponge or a Mr. Clean sponge. If it doesn’t come off right away, spray the stubborn spot down then warm the oven or microwave before scrubbing to soften those stubborn stains.

Vinegar for Cleaning Burnt Pans

We’ve all burned something while cooking, then get frustrated about how to clean it up. Vinegar is excellent for loosening burnt on foods. Pour a layer of vinegar, enough to cover the burned-on area, and simmer it for a few minutes. Let it sit for an hour, then scrub it off. Heating it usually works when you need a bit more cleaning power.

Vinegar for Cleaning the RV’s Black Tank

Most of us use the bacteria solutions in our black tanks, but sometimes that’s not enough. About once a month we pour a gallon of cleaning vinegar into the tank to help break down whatever solids that are stuck to the tank. Because vinegar kills bacteria, pouring the usual tank solution with bacteria would be a waste of that product, so save it for the next time you flush the tank.

Vinegar for Cleaning Respiratory Equipment

If you use any type of respiratory equipment at home, you may wonder about the best way to clean it. This equipment can range from nebulizers for breathing treatments, to CPAP machines, to oxygen concentrators, and anything you reuse.

I’m a retired respiratory therapist (RT) and, at one time, owned a medical equipment company. I’m disappointed in how things have changed over the years. It used to be that an RT came to your home and showed you how to assemble, disassemble and clean this equipment. But lately, the trend is toward just delivering the equipment via UPS or FedEx, assuming you will read and understand the instructions. That is, if they’re even included.

The good news is that cleaning this equipment isn’t difficult. Just disassemble the pieces of the nebulizer, or water bottle for the concentrator, or CPAP, or whatever equipment you reuse for any type of treatment. Pay close attention to how the pieces go together so that you can re-assemble them easily.

Then soak them in white vinegar mixed with water for about 30 minutes. Then rinse them and lay them on a paper towel to dry before reassembling them. Hang tubings so they can drain and dry faster. Alternatively, reassemble them and run the equipment so that the airflow dries the insides of the tubes, nebulizers, bottles, etc.

Distilled water is best, but people have used tap water with no problems. Recommendations vary from using one part vinegar to either three or four parts water (20% to 25% vinegar solution.) While either concentration works, it does matter that you use white or cleaning vinegar and not cider vinegar, because the particles can clog the tiny openings in nebulizers and water-bottle filters.

Hope these tips make your RVing life a little easier and healthier.

Fulltimers in spirit since 1999. We’ve worked from home since 1977 and have plenty to share about that. As a full timer, the ability to work from wherever we take our RV is a survival tactic. Our travels our funded through writings, Udemy.com courses, Shoestring Startup™ business books, teaching courses in working from home or RV, courses in genealogy, and our affiliate sales of similar materials. Our resource pages are accessible through http://www.adhocgroup.net. Everyone can do something, and we’ll help you live healthier by making a living from whatever it is you do, naturally. Full timing was the best decision we ever made. We enjoy a healthier lifestyle and time to give and take according to the opportunities life presents us.

Nine Everyday Uses For Plain Old White Vinegar

Nine Everyday Uses For Plain Old White Vinegar

We all run into situations where we end up using chemical products we don’t want to use. So, it’s nice to know there’s a safer alternative. Trusty old vinegar, especially white vinegar, can solve many of those problems without side effects. Here are nine ways to use it at home.

White Vinegar vs Cider (or other) Vinegar vs Cleaning Vinegar

Not all vinegars are equal. One reason why I specify white vinegar rather than apple cider or other kinds of vinegar is price. White vinegar only costs about $ 2.50 a gallon. Another is because other vinegars have residues in them. The same apple cider vinegar with the “mother” that is so beneficial when consumed, will clog the tiny openings in your nebulizer. It might leave smelly residue on your pets, or particles on your bathroom shower walls or door. Why pay more when white vinegar gives better results?

Most white vinegar is 5% strength. Another product, called cleaning vinegar, is a bit stronger at 6%. Cleaning vinegar has a bit more punch, but watch the price. At $ 5/gallon, it’s not THAT much better. At $ 3/gallon, it’s a deal.

Personal Uses for Vinegar

Vinegar to Prevent Cellulitis

This trick is one I figured out when my lower leg flared up on a weekend when the doctors’ offices were closed. I’d had cellulitis before and didn’t want it to progress to the infection stage. But it wasn’t worth a trip to the emergency room, either.

I figured that it couldn’t hurt to try the vinegar treatment – better that than do nothing. After soaking a dishtowel in vinegar (I could have used any type of vinegar as the residue wouldn’t make a difference,) I wrung it out and wrapped it around my ankle and lower leg for about 30 minutes. It worked. The inflammation went down right away and it didnt feel hot anymore. I did this again the second day, and my leg returned to normal by the third day.

Caution, though. If you do this and don’t get noticeable results within an hour or two of the first application, do seek medical care. If it’s hot and tender, definitely go to an urgent care or the emergency department. People have been hospitalized for cellulitis.

Vinegar to Remove Dry Skin

One outcome of treating the cellulitis was that the some of the vinegar dripped down to my foot. After 30 minutes of that, my dry, “summer foot” callouses began to break down. After scrubbing them with a washcloth to remove the vinegar-saturated, calloused skin, I was down to nice, soft skin on my feet. Compared to using lotion, which often took several applications, over several days, resulting in only partial softening the vinegar worked in less than an hour.

I’ve noticed, also, that anytime I work with vinegar, my hands are softer. And that’s better than using chemical laden lotions.

Vinegar as Pet Wash and Flea Killer

Like most cats, Mr. Mooo hates baths, so, we keep this torture as short as possible. This is as much for our benefit as his – he’s been known to draw blood the longer he’s kept wet. Judging from his angry eyes and iron grip on the edge of the sink (if not my arm,) I’m sure he hates this, but it cleans him nicely and leaves his fur extra soft.

While he rarely has fleas, we found that washing him with plain white vinegar kills any fleas he does have, immediately. They fall off easily during rinsing.

While, even with a thorough rinsing, he might smell vinegary for a while, the smell goes away completely once he’s dry. It also rinses off much easier than pet shampoo, so he, and we, are in and out much faster. And if he gets away before he’s completely rinsed, the vinegar won’t hurt him. I don’t know how licking off shampoo would affect cats, but it can’t be or taste good.

If you’re camping or RVing and have to wash your pets, especially outside, white vinegar is a godsend. No one’s going to care if you rinse a vinegar soaked dog in a river, or from a hose in the camping area.

Vinegar IS a weed-killer, so rinse where nothing desirable is growing, like a lawn or flower bed. Most RV slips have patios, dirt or graveled areas where you wouldn’t want weeds growing anyway, so you can knock out two jobs at once this way.

Practical Uses for Vinegar

Vinegar as Weedkiller

Speaking of weed-killer, white vinegar is a perfect choice. It’s natural, so no chemicals. Mix it with some magnesium and your weeds will wilt in about a day, and you’ll do no harm to the environment, people or critters. But, it can also kill off plants and grass that you want to keep, so apply it directly on the weeds you want to kill.

Vinegar to Remove Hard Water Stains

One day my husband decided to clean the shower door with vinegar instead of the chemical products we usually used for this purpose. Hard water is the toughest thing to clean in a shower, but white vinegar makes it a snap to clean off.

He was amazed at how easily and thoroughly it cleaned everything. It’s even easier when you use one of those Mr. Clean white sponges. But even with a regular or scrubber sponge, it works so nicely that I wonder how commercial products ever made it to the shelves. No chemicals, no smells, no fumes. And it disinfects, too.

Vinegar for Cleaning the Stove 

Easy-off and similar products clean ovens, stove tops, grills, very nicely. But they give off toxic fumes, and an RV is so small a space that everyone has to get out if they want to breathe safely.

On the other hand, good old white vinegar can cut right through those burnt spots. Well, not right through, but spray it with vinegar and let it sit a while. Then scrub it off with a scrubber sponge or a Mr. Clean sponge. If it doesn’t come off right away, spray the stubborn spot down then warm the oven or microwave before scrubbing to soften those stubborn stains.

Vinegar for Cleaning Burnt Pans

We’ve all burned something while cooking, then get frustrated about how to clean it up. Vinegar is excellent for loosening burnt on foods. Pour a layer of vinegar, enough to cover the burned-on area, and simmer it for a few minutes. Let it sit for an hour, then scrub it off. Heating it usually works when you need a bit more cleaning power.

Vinegar for Cleaning the RV’s Black Tank

Most of us use the bacteria solutions in our black tanks, but sometimes that’s not enough. About once a month we pour a gallon of cleaning vinegar into the tank to help break down whatever solids that are stuck to the tank. Because vinegar kills bacteria, pouring the usual tank solution with bacteria would be a waste of that product, so save it for the next time you flush the tank.

Vinegar for Cleaning Respiratory Equipment

If you use any type of respiratory equipment at home, you may wonder about the best way to clean it. This equipment can range from nebulizers for breathing treatments, to CPAP machines, to oxygen concentrators, and anything you reuse.

I’m a retired respiratory therapist (RT) and, at one time, owned a medical equipment company. I’m disappointed in how things have changed over the years. It used to be that an RT came to your home and showed you how to assemble, disassemble and clean this equipment. But lately, the trend is toward just delivering the equipment via UPS or FedEx, assuming you will read and understand the instructions. That is, if they’re even included.

The good news is that cleaning this equipment isn’t difficult. Just disassemble the pieces of the nebulizer, or water bottle for the concentrator, or CPAP, or whatever equipment you reuse for any type of treatment. Pay close attention to how the pieces go together so that you can re-assemble them easily.

Then soak them in white vinegar mixed with water for about 30 minutes. Then rinse them and lay them on a paper towel to dry before reassembling them. Hang tubings so they can drain and dry faster. Alternatively, reassemble them and run the equipment so that the airflow dries the insides of the tubes, nebulizers, bottles, etc.

Distilled water is best, but people have used tap water with no problems. Recommendations vary from using one part vinegar to either three or four parts water (20% to 25% vinegar solution.) While either concentration works, it does matter that you use white or cleaning vinegar and not cider vinegar, because the particles can clog the tiny openings in nebulizers and water-bottle filters.

Hope these tips make your RVing life a little easier and healthier.

Nine Everyday Uses For Plain Old White Vinegar

Plain packaging and graphic warnings will ‘crush’ craft drinks, says gin master

It’s enough to make Jared Brown spill his drink. The co-founder and master distiller behind Sipsmith, the micro-distillery in the vanguard of the craft gin movement in the UK, is contemplating the possibility of graphic warning photographs and plain packaging appearing on bottles of alcohol, akin to the restrictions on tobacco that assume full force in May.

“Are they considering similar labels for bacon? Fish and chips? Crisps?” he demands. “It’s an absurdity. It will crush the craft side of the industry. It will shift the business back to the industrial producers, who will be very happy to move people back to mass-produced drinks. If something like this comes through we won’t be able to weather it.”

In December, a report from the government advisory body Public Health England suggested that bottles of alcohol could be sold in plain packaging and carry larger health warnings, including photographic warning labels. This month, public health groups called for a ban on all alcohol advertising in the UK and a study published last week by the University of Liverpool recommended placing warning labels on the front of bottles and using plain packaging to emphasise the risks associated with excessive drinking.

Under current arrangements, there are no mandatory requirements for alcohol labelling, although a voluntary “responsibility deal” requires the drinks industry to include warning labels indicating the unit alcohol content, the chief medical officer’s alcohol guidelines and a pregnancy warning. For some campaigners and health professionals, self-regulation and the use of labels with questionable effectiveness is not enough.

‘If you remove branding and packaging, people will trade down in terms of quality,’ says craft spirit branding specialist Michael Vachon. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

“There’s been a long and sorry history of the drinks industry drawing up voluntary agreements with government and failing to deliver,” said Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, who chairs the Alcohol Health Alliance. “There needs to be proper balanced information about the calorie content, health risks and guidelines. The public has a right to know that there is a significant link between alcohol and some cancers.”

Sarah Hanratty, interim chief executive of the Portman Group, which administers the industry’s code of practice and set up the Drinkaware website, argues that self-regulation does have teeth. “There are strong commercial sanctions for companies that break the rules and products can be removed from shelves,” she said. “Banning alcohol marketing or calling for plain packaging is not the answer and will only serve to damage Britain’s thriving creative industries.”

One industry that has already voiced alarm at the possibility of plain packaging and warning labels is the design sector. “What would a beautiful bar look like if the back bar was all plain packaging?” asked designer and brand consultant Ron Cregan, who has worked in the industry for over 25 years. “Would the iconic shape of the champagne bottle have to change?”

Cregan is so alarmed that he has got together with like-minded professionals to form a group called Endangered Species to respond to the challenges that may lie ahead: “This has been on my radar for the last 15 years. We’re trying to create a forum so that when it comes to the table we can have a debate. We need to gather our best brains,” he said. “It goes to who we are and how we live and celebrate life. I want to live in a world that’s culturally and socially rich. There’s a kind of semi-religious tone to this. It’s highly sanctimonious.”

Chris Record, a liver specialist at Newcastle University who started the campaign for better labelling on alcohol products in 2004, denies that there is anything self-righteous about his work.

“We’re not temperance people at all,” he said. “We don’t mind people drinking, we just don’t want them to drink excessively and the only way to get this message across is to give them the information. The public has a right to know. We don’t want to interfere with their branding. We just want them to provide the information which they have failed to do voluntarily, so it needs to be mandatory in some form.”

Some observers see the debate around alcohol packaging as the inevitable consequence of the controls placed on tobacco. “It wouldn’t be possible unless cigarettes hadn’t happened first,” said Christopher Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs thinktank. “The debates around the tobacco advertising ban 15 years ago were that this was not a precedent, it will never happen with anything else, and yet last week the there were health campaigners saying the same thing should happen with alcohol.”

Craft spirit branding specialist Michael Vachon, who set up Maverick Drinks, sees an unintended consequence of any attempt to hinder branding. “Certainly it would harm what is a burgeoning entrepreneurial scene,” he said. “Packaging plays a big part in being able to sell the product. I’d love to be able to say that the taste of the product is everything but it’s simply not the case. The packaging is a big part of why people trade up to craft brands. If you remove branding and packaging, people will trade down in terms of quality, and that would have the opposite of the intended effect. I’m sure government bodies would prefer people to drink better and less rather than cheaper and more.”

Plain packaging and graphic warnings will ‘crush’ craft drinks, says gin master

Government urged to introduce plain cigarette packaging by overall health charities

Illustration of mandatory packaging for cigarettes in Australia. Photograph: Tim Wimborne / Reuters

Overall health charities have urged ministers to ensure that plain packaging for cigarettes turns into law before the general election right after a delay they stated raised fears about the influence of tobacco firms.

Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Study United kingdom, welcomed the government’s publication of draft rules to strip packets of their logos, colours and other marketing and advertising imagery. But he criticised the “11th hour” timing of the move on Thursday, two months soon after ministers originally promised the laws would appear.

No progress will be made until finally a more consultation on the strategy, announced by Jane Ellison the public overall health minister, has closed on seven August.

The very first consultation on forcing cigarettes to be sold in standardised packs ran from April to August 2012, “and each and every day since then hundreds more youngsters have began smoking,” Kumar said.

Soon after the latest consultation ministers will even now have to seek EU approval, which is expected to consider 6 months, just before it can introduce the measure. The prepare is strongly opposed by tobacco firms.

Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, stated plain packaging could show to be 1 of most powerful measures the coalition has taken to enhance public health.

“Nevertheless, with the draft laws getting published two months later on than originally planned, consulting and getting EU approval prior to the next election is going to be extremely tight. For the wellness of Uk children we hope this deadline is met. If it is not, I concern queries will be asked as to regardless of whether this late publication was just a delaying tactic by a government under strain from the tobacco sector,” stated Woods.

In December 2012 Australia became the very first country to implement plain packaging, although numerous nations, like Ireland, strategy to stick to suit. Cigarette cartons in Australia now carry pictures of the possible health care consequences of smoking, this kind of as people dying of cancer.

The move is credited with foremost to a 5% fall in cigarette income. Tobacco makers fear the move will be adopted internationally and drive down their product sales and revenue.

The coalition committed itself to plain packaging, but final yr suddenly abandoned the strategy amid claims about the role of Lynton Crosby, the Australian lobbyist who is in charge of the Conservatives’ approach for up coming year’s election. But lobbying by doctors alarmed at the U-flip prompted ministers to revive it.

Luciana Berger, the shadow public wellness minister, said the latest consultation was but one more delay and that almost 50,000 young children had taken up smoking given that the coalition very first explained it would introduce plain packaging.

Simon Clark, director of the professional-smoking group Forest, mentioned plain packaging would be “one more phase in direction of the infantilisation of Britain” and urged ministers to stay open-minded.

“The affect of plain packaging on retailers and shoppers could be extremely damaging. Proof suggests that standardised packaging could lead to the United kingdom getting flooded with fake cigarettes,” Clark stated.

Government urged to introduce plain cigarette packaging by overall health charities

Government urged to act quickly on plain cigarette packaging

Cigarette packs on display in Sydney, Australia, the place branding-cost-free tobacco packaging was introduced in 2012. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Photos

The government has been urged not to drag its feet over the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes in a letter from 600 clinicians, such as several leaders in public overall health.

Public overall health minister Jane Ellison told parliament in April that she would carry forward draft laws by the finish of April. She was responding to a evaluation by Sir Cyril Chantler into the health advantages of plain packs which, she explained, produced “a compelling situation that if standardised packaging were launched, it would be quite most likely to have a constructive impact on public overall health”.

The Chantler report said the evidence showed that packs without branding or marketing would entice fewer younger people to try out smoking, even though the effect would be “modest”.

But, say the authorities whose letter is published in the British Health care Journal, that was two months in the past and absolutely nothing has took place. There is a reasonably brief window of chance prior to the up coming basic election, they warn. The government has committed to a 6-week consultation time period and will require to notify the EU of the draft rules – a procedure which can take up to 6 months. “We for that reason ask you to confirm that they will be published in the next few weeks.”

The letter is signed by 600 medical doctors, nurses and other NHS overall health pros. Among them are Dr Nicholas Hopkins, consultant chest physician and chair of a specialist lung disease advisory group of the British Thoracic Society, Anna Gilmore, professor of public health in Bath and John Ashton, president of the Uk Faculty of Public Health.

“Smoking associated illness remains the principal result in of preventable deaths in the Uk, killing much more than a hundred 000 individuals every 12 months. t is as a result needed and logical to end the advertising of cigarettes and tobacco products through packaging,” they publish.

There has currently been a public consultation on plain packaging – which is taken to mean packs with out brand advertising but covered instead with well being warnings. It ran from April to August 2012. There had been higher hopes among anti-smoking campaigners that the government would introduce plain packaging, but in July 2013 it announced that it would wait for proof from Australia, which introduced it in the earlier yr. The Chantler review assessed that evidence.

Labour’s shadow public wellness minister, Luciana Berger, said there was no excuse for additional delay. The letter, she said,”is an extraordinary step for hundreds of concerned well being experts to consider.

“Even when MPs demanded answers in the Commons on Tuesday, the Minister, Jane Ellison, wouldn’t set a timetable. It is turning out to be yet another instance of David Cameron caving in to vested interests and standing up for the wrong people.”​

The Department of Well being stated the approach was on track. “We are minded to introduce rules for standardised packaging of tobacco merchandise subject to a final, brief consultation so interested events can give us their thoughts on the detailed proposal,” it stated in a statement.

“The consultation is now currently being finalised and will be published shortly.”

Government urged to act quickly on plain cigarette packaging

Labor rejects tobacco industry claim of plain packaging policy failure

Labor has rejected tobacco sector figures that display more cigarettes are becoming sold considering that the introduction of plain packaging.

The tobacco business British American Tobacco Australia has jumped on the figures as proof the plain packaging policy has failed but they are contradicted by Australian Bureau of Statistics information as effectively as by preliminary research into the affect of plain packaging on smoking routines. Labor launched necessary plain packaging in 2012 to significantly protest from tobacco companies.

Figures from InfoView, which are backed by the cigarette businesses Philip Morris and BATA, ran on the front webpage of the Australian on Friday, displaying an improve of .3% in the volume of cigarettes getting offered, but have not been adjusted to account for population development. The study also showed the yearly decline in the amount of men and women smoking more than halved.

When Guardian Australia contacted InfoView for the information it was directed to BATA, who sent a press release quoting the figures and slamming plain packaging.

“With development in sector volumes, fewer individuals quitting and a leap in the amount of cheap illegal cigarettes on the streets, you could draw the conclusion that folks are really smoking far more now than prior to plain packaging came into effect,” a spokesman, Scott McIntyre, stated.

When asked to present the raw information of the analysis, McIntyre replied it was “commercially sensitive”.

“It’s not BATA study,” he stated. “It’s purchased from third-celebration suppliers Roy Morgan and InfoView. We acquire data about our products, just like any other company that sells quick-moving consumer goods.”

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures demonstrate a decline in smokers in Australia since 2001, a trend that continued in 2011-twelve, when the percentage of female smokers dropped to 16.three% and male smokers decreased to twenty.four%.

ABS figures also record a decline in the total home expenditure on tobacco and cigarettes.

South Australia has recorded an improve in the smoking fee in the past 12 months, with 19.4% of the population smoking, up from 16.seven%, in accordance to government figures. The state is in the approach of banning smoking in alfresco places which the government is hoping will help reduced the rate.

The opposition wellness minister, Catherine King, referenced the ABS figures when commenting on the sector figures.

“Only the tobacco market thinks plain packaging is a poor factor – that is because they know they will be selling fewer cigarettes to fewer people,” she mentioned. “It is incumbent on the government to express its unqualified assistance for plain packaging.”

In BATA’s release it explained it was “very clear all information available” in excess of the past 12 months showed the plain packaging policy was a failure.

Most researchers agree it is as well early to correctly measure the impacts of the policy but preliminary investigation has shown men and women have been turned off by the plain packaging, which demonstrates graphic photos of effects of smoking, this kind of as rotting teeth.

Analysis into the influence of the initial 3 months of the policy, published in the British Medical Journal and funded by Cancer Council Victoria, identified 30.6% of smokers utilizing plain packaging perceived their cigarettes to be of decrease top quality than a yr earlier, in contrast with 18.1% of smokers using branded cigarettes.

It was also reported that 26.2% of plain-package smokers were much less satisfied by their cigarettes than they have been a year earlier, in contrast with 14.9% of branded-packet smokers.

Labor rejects tobacco industry claim of plain packaging policy failure

Unthinkable? plain packets for everything | Editorial

Could the plain wrappers, which the government has mentioned it will introduce for cigarettes, be usefully extended, to other probably damaging products? Alcopop could be divested of its deceiving glamour, fatty meals could be labelled as just that, sugar could be generically dispensed. Whisky would just be a brown liquid in a bottle with no pictures of terriers or a chap striding along. Marmalade would just be a brown substance in a jar (right after all, when you buy oranges they often put them in a plain brown paper bag). Ice cream would no longer carry names reminding you of hefty handguns or novels by Mark Twain. Except, of course, in really tiny letters at the bottom of the pack. High heeled sneakers could be stripped of their vogue names and carry a warning about muscle strain and bunions to come. Quickly vehicles could have their badges pruned. The more we lengthen the list the sillier it gets. Yet we know how several designs for marijuana packets have been patented in the hope that it would be legalised: the magic wand of branding could then be waved over them to deliver huge profits to these far-sighted entrepreneurs. Brand names permit us to pick, but they also often cease us deciding on wisely. Perhaps the problem could be tackled more straight by basically attaching a label to every thing saying that branding should be taken with a pinch of salt. Naturally a label like that on an real packet of salt could cause confusion, so that one may possibly have to say in that situation that branding could be a snare and a delusion.

Unthinkable? plain packets for everything | Editorial

Cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging as minister says smoking is "cruel waste of human potential"

Public Overall health Minister Jane Ellison has announced to the House of Commons that outlets will only sell cigarettes in plain packaging in England, calling smoking a “cruel waste of human likely”.

Her anouncement follows the outcomes of an independent report which she said exhibits plain packaging would be really likely to have a “constructive impact on public overall health.”

The government should consider “every single effective measure we can” to minimize the number of smokers in the nation, she additional.

Nevertheless her comments prompted cries of “shame” from Tory backbenchers, who described the move as a “nanny state” measure rather than a Conservative 1.

Cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging as minister says smoking is "cruel waste of human potential"

Cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging to cut smoking

Following a Government U-turn on the notion last yr, Sir Cyril Chantler, a major paediatrician, was asked to make a report on the evidence of whether or not the policy will support drive down smoking charges.

The Government is moving forward with strategies to ban branding on cigarette packs in England, Public Wellness Minister Jane Ellison informed MPs.

Health campaigners are sturdy supporters of plain packaging, believing that anything which could discourage smoking could conserve lives.

But tobacco producers declare that it is basically a stage in direction of banning “legitimate” smoking even though encouraging a black industry.

David Cameron appeared to distance himself from plain packaging in July final 12 months, saying additional proof was needed to show regardless of whether it would be powerful.

But, amid stress from Labour, ministers signalled in November that the policy could however be implemented just before the 2015 election based on the final result of the Chantler evaluation.

Cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging to cut smoking

England to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes

Smokers’ decision: cigarettes on show in a store. Photograph: Alex Segre/Alamy

The government is to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes, soon after a detailed overview of the evidence concluded that 1000′s fewer young children would consider up smoking if the packets have been unbranded and significantly less eye-catching.

The public overall health minister Jane Ellison told the Property of Commons that the Chantler overview, commissioned by the government soon after it postponed a determination on plain packs, “helps make a compelling situation that if standardised packaging had been introduced, it would be extremely most likely to have a good affect on public health”.

She said she would be introducing draft laws “so it is crystal clear what we intend”, and would announce the specifics shortly.

Her distinct concern was the take-up of smoking by children, and this was the concern Sir Cyril Chantler was asked to target on in his overview. Every day in the Uk around 60 kids commence smoking, and a lot of of these are probably to grow up with a nicotine addiction they would locate difficult to break. If smoking take-up was lowered by 2%, 4,000 fewer young children a year would develop the habit.

Ellison explained the chief health care officer, Dame Sally Davies, had seen the report and backed the proposal to introduce plain packs.

The government postponed a determination on plain packaging final summertime, provoking a political storm when it emerged that a lobbying company run by David Cameron’s election guru Lynton Crosby had assisted a key tobacco organization with its marketing and advertising techniques.

England to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes

Tobacco companies hype smuggling fears to steer clear of plain packaging, finds review

The standardised packaging which is now necessary for cigarettes in Australia. Official figures from Australian customs say smuggling has not elevated. Photograph: Tim Wimborne/Reuters

Tobacco companies have been accused of encouraging scare stories claiming that the introduction of plain cigarette packs would promote smuggling.

A peer-reviewed examine has located that, far from the sector currently being a victim of smuggling, there are credible allegations that it has been complicit in facilitating unlawful trade in its items.

A report by Sir Cyril Chantler, reviewing the public wellness rewards of plain packaging, is due to be delivered to the government this week. It was commissioned right after a row about David Cameron’s election strategist Lynton Crosby, whose lobbying firm represents tobacco interests. PMI, which helps make Marlboro cigarettes and is a client of Crosby’s company, has warned that plain packaging would encourage smuggling.

Even so the new study, published in the journal Tobacco Control, claims such arguments should be viewed sceptically.

Professor Anna Gilmore of the Tobacco Management Study Group at the University of Bath said: “We discovered that from early 2008 until early 2011 there have been definitely no media stories citing sector information on illicit sales of tobacco, despite ranges becoming far higher then than they are now. Then out of the blue, just right after the probability of plain packaging was announced, we noticed an boost in such stories, which have continued given that. This, and the truth that leaked documents demonstrate that illicit trade was to be one of the industry’s crucial arguments towards plain packs, suggests this is a deliberate approach.”

Gilmore explained business claims that the use of illicit cigarettes in the United kingdom was sharply increasing have been “wholly inconsistent” with historical trends and recent independent data.

The paper also states: “There is expanding proof that the tobacco businesses are nonetheless involved in the illicit trade. There is proof of considerable overproduction of cigarettes in markets this kind of as Ukraine and Belarus and we know these extra cigarettes finish up in the illegal marketplace.”

Numerous of the tobacco industry’s claims about smuggled tobacco are based on its own studies examining discarded packs at higher-profile venues this kind of as racecourses and football stadiums. But Gilmore questioned the reliability of this kind of studies.

“Tobacco industry data on the illicit trade is completely unreliable,” she said. “Their methodology is never entirely transparent. Their misleading claims about illicit should be witnessed for what they are – a desperate bid to avoid plain packaging from currently being implemented.”

The industry has been robust in fighting its corner. It has commissioned many studies that claim that standardised packs would see an improve in smuggling – anything that could deprive the Exchequer of billions of lbs. Itfiercely rejects claims that it encourages the offering of its personal merchandise on the black marketplace, pointing out that it money a selection of counter-smuggling initiatives.Official customs figures published earlier this month in Australia, the initial country to introduce plain packs, uncovered that the measure has had virtually no effect on tobacco smuggling. “This offical data from Australian customs is the last nail in the coffin for the tobacco industry’s argument that plain packs will boost illicit,” Gilmore stated. “Yet once more the industry’s lies are exposed.”

Deborah Arnott of overall health charity Ash, mentioned the tobacco industry had paid vast sums to consultancies and thinktanks “to make dubious reviews towards plain standardised packaging of cigarettes, which make up in size what they lack in academic rigour.

“The oft-repeated argument that smuggling will increase if branding is eliminated runs counter to all independent proof and is no longer credible.”

Tobacco companies hype smuggling fears to steer clear of plain packaging, finds review

Quitline calls up by 78% the month soon after plain packaging of cigarettes

Calls to the New South Wales Quitline increased by 78% in the month after the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes in 2012, though it is still not known if fewer individuals are smoking simply because of it.

The chief executive of the Cancer Institute NSW, David Currow, said the figures, from a study by the University of Sydney and the Cancer Institute NSW, showed plain packaging could be as powerful as smoke-cost-free regions, assistance applications and mass media campaigns

Calls to NSW Quitline elevated from 363 a week to a peak of 651 a week in the time period studied. In 2006 there was an 84% increase in calls following the introduction of graphic warnings.

The examine stated the spike in calls could not be explained by an increase in anti-tobacco advertising or the cost of cigarettes.

“This is an critical incremental phase in extensive tobacco control,” the study concluded.

The investigation was published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Currow said: “The impact of plain packaging appears to be significant, quick and sustained.

“Nations that introduce plain packaging can come to feel a lot more assured that the policy has the meant effects.”

Research have yet to be finished into how several people have offered up smoking considering that the introduction of plain packaging, and for how lengthy.

The lead writer of the report, Professor Jane Young, said that even though the enhance in calls was less marked than in 2006, it was more immediate and lasted longer.

In November a report discovered plain packaging had led to an boost in unlawful tobacco, however total smoking costs had been down.

The research, funded by a tobacco company, discovered the sale of legal tobacco declined and the sum of tobacco consumed in Australia was declining, but there was an improve in the use of illicit tobacco.

The very first examine published after the introduction of plain packaging found it created cigarettes less appealing to smokers.

Quitline calls up by 78% the month soon after plain packaging of cigarettes