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Keeping It Plain: New Laws on Cigarette Packaging in Ireland
Posted on Jun 21, 2013 by Sergio Ulloa (G+)
Warnings have been appearing on cigarette packaging for over 40 years, and over the last decades they have evolved to become bigger, bolder, more hard hitting. These days, 40 countries worldwide now legally require large, graphic images on the front of cigarette packs; these depictions of the effects of smoking often include shocking images of diseased people or diseased body parts.
But just two weeks ago, Ireland took things one step further.
Ireland announced that they would follow Australia's example and enforce plain packaging on all tobacco products. The new announcements were made by the Health Minister Dr. James Reilly who reportedly has great admiration for the Australian approach to plain tobacco packaging, which was introduced on December 1, 2012. Australian cigarette companies are now forced to sell cigarettes in a boring, bland shade of brown, without any brand logos, images or graphics appearing on the packets.
Almost one in three people smoke in Ireland, and in recent years the country has been taking an increasingly strong stance on cigarettes and tobacco products: nearly 10 years ago, in 2004, it was the very first country worldwide to impose a workplace smoking ban; since 2008, large written warnings, often stretching over 45 percent of the packet, have warned cigarette purchasers of the health and sickness risks associated with smoking. The existing written messages like: "Your doctor or your pharmacist can help you stop smoking" or "Get help to stop smoking: Callsave Quitline 1850 201 203" often come with telephone numbers and websites of organisations that can help smokers to stop their addiction. The new plain packaging strategy is seen as another important effort to reduce the number of smokers and therefore cut the current annual number of smoking-related deaths in Ireland (which currently stands at 5,200).
The main difference with the plain packaging is that it is intended to impact young people, and prevent them from starting to smoke in the first place. To explain the government's decision, Dr. Reilly quoted a survey which indicated that 78 percent of smokers said they started smoking before they were 18 years old. With this in mind, the plain packaging will be brought in to discourage young people from being drawn to the habit. Reilly has pushed for the packaging changes because he believes that the best way to stop people smoking is to ensure that they never start. The new plain packaging is intended to remove all product distinction from cigarette packets, which means that every packet of cigarettes and tobacco product will be stripped to look as simple as possible. The ban will prevent big cigarette companies from using marketing ploys like packet size, colour and style to attract young smokers, particularly girls. In addition, since all colour, shape and logos will be removed from packets, it is hoped that young people will stop using cigarettes as a status symbol because they will no longer be able to so obviously identify themselves with a certain cigarette brand.
For Reilly, the message about reducing smoking related deaths is almost as personal as it is political. In his statement, Reilly said: "Smoking places an enormous burden of illness and mortality on our society," and then complemented that with news that both his father and brother had died of smoking related illnesses including lung cancer, strokes and a range of other health complications caused by blindness and overall breathing difficulties. In both cases, Reilly admitted that his family members had started smoking at a young age and were unable to curb their addictions despite the fact that both of them worked as doctors.
As with the Australian law on plain packaging, the Irish government has been attacked and criticised by tobacco companies who say that this is not the right move - and insist that there is no evidence to show it is effective in stopping people smoking. Ireland has already taken a hard line on tobacco product marketing; in 2009 it it banned in-store tobacco advertising as well as displays of any tobacco products at retail outlets. This new move to cutting logos and branding from packaging is set to infuriate the tobacco business further. In Australia, the ban saw official complaints relating to restrictions on branding when four different tobacco-producing countries went to the World Health Organisation to allege that the restrictions breached trade rules on international property rights.
In addition to branding issues, the tobacco companies have also voiced concerns that by removing all cigarette company logos, trademarks and images, Ireland will encourage to production and sale of illegally produced cigarettes. Ireland already has quite serious problems with illegal tobacco goods, and it is estimated that almost one-fifth of all cigarettes smoked in Ireland have been smuggled into the country. Knowing this, the tobacco companies have taken an economic stance and suggested that plain packaging will only cause more counterfeit problems for Ireland's already struggling economy. John Freda, general manager of JTI, the owner of Benson and Hedges, released a statement saying: "Plain packaging will make it easier for the underworld to manufacture fakes, putting money in the pockets of criminals and taking money out of the tills of shopkeepers across Ireland."
Despite this retaliation from the tobacco industry, the Health Minister is determined to go ahead with plans, and the government intends to have the plain packets law firmly in place by early 2014.