Plain Packaging on Tobacco Backfires Within First Year in the UK

PR73582

GENEVA, May 17, 2018 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

     After Government U-Turned on its Commitment to Wait for Evidence from

Australia, New Research Shows UK Public Consider Plain Packaging Ineffective

and a Poor Use of Resources - Concerns it will Lead to a n Increase in Illegal

Cigarettes

    One year on from the controversial introduction of plain packaging for

tobacco in the UK, new research commissioned by JTI and conducted by

independent polling company Kantar TNS, reveals that the majority of the UK

public are not supportive of the policy.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/692561/JT_International_SA_Logo.jpg )

    In the largest public opinion poll of its kind since plain packaging was

introduced, research found that UK citizens are concerned their government has

imported a failed policy from Australia[1] without fully evaluating the

potential negative consequences[2] :

    - Almost two-thirds of the UK population believe that plain packaging will

not achieve its primary objective of reducing smoking rates (65%) and is a poor

use of government resources (65%).

    - Three out of every five UK adults (58%) believe plain packaging will lead

to an increase in the number of illegal cigarettes sold in the UK.

    - If the UK Government had yet to decide on plain packaging and was

considering whether to introduce it today, 69% of UK adults believe they should

either reject the policy (35%) or wait for more evidence of its effectiveness

from Australia (34%).

    - 72% of respondents believe the government would either a) fix a policy

review / ignore evidence that went against a preferred policy (29%), or b) be

reluctant to change their preferred policy if the evidence was weighted against

it (43%).

    Respondents are also critical of how the Bill became law:

    - 68% think the Government changed the decision-making requirements it

had       previously set out in order to push it through.

    - 72% think it was important for the government to research the links

between illegal tobacco and terrorist organizations.

    One year in, the latest data shows no impact on tobacco sales or smoking

rates in the UK[3] and counterfeit plain packs were discovered on the high

street as early as one month after the implementation of plain packaging.[4] An

analysis conducted by JTI on UK counterfeit samples shows that tar, nicotine

and carbon monoxide levels far exceed those allowed in the country. But this is

only the tip of the iceberg: in some cases, counterfeits have been found to

contain heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium and lead[5], along with other

toxic contaminants: asbestos, mold, dust, dead flies, rat droppings - and even

human excrement.[6]

    "Plain packaging is failing in the UK, as it has in Australia and

France[7], and as we always warned that it would," states Jonathan Duce, Head

of External Communications at JTI's global headquarters in Geneva. "Rather than

wait for results to emerge from Australia - as originally committed to by

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt - the government pushed through a policy without

waiting for hard evidence or research into the consequences. Plain packaging

should never have been introduced in the UK, and other governments considering

the measure should think twice before importing this failed experiment."

    References

    1) In Australia, which pioneered plain packaging in December 2012, latest

Government data shows that the long-term decline in smoking rates has now       

stalled:

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/ndshs-2016-key-findings/contents/highlights-from-the-2016-survey

    2) After Australia implemented plain packaging, illegal tobacco sales went

up by 30%. The overall illegal market is now at 15% - the country's highest

level on record: See "Illicit Tobacco in Australia: 2017 Full Year Report",

KPMG, April 2018:

https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/uk/pdf/2018/05/australia_illicit_tobacco_report_2017.pdf.

    3) The scale of illegal tobacco in Australia - and related criminal

activity - has forced the government to set up a multi-agency 'Tobacco

TaskForce':

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/government-butt-squad-to-chase-billions-in-criminal-tobacco-fraud-20180505-p4zdiv.html

    4) "TPD2 and standardized tobacco packaging - What impacts have they had so

far?", Europe Economics, May 2018:

http://www.europe-economics.com/publications/15/publications.htm - Data on

smoking rates for England, considered as representative for the UK.

    5) "EXCLUSIVE: First Fake Plain Packs Discovered, Rogue Retailers Making

'Small Fortune' ",  BetterRetailing.com, November 10, 2017:

https://www.betterretailing.com/first-fake-plain-packs-discovered.

    6)

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/sniffer-dogs-with-gopro-bodycams-help-find-30000-fake-cigarettes-in-soho-a3547241.html

    7)

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/illegal-tobacco-tainted-by-asbestos-and-rats-s2fpnsx26

    8) In France, the second country to implement plain packaging four months

before the UK, Minister of Health Agnes Buzyn admitted that plain packaging

doesn't stop people from smoking and that she was against it from the       

outset:

http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/15/cri/2017-2018/20180075.asp#P1117763        

[http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/15/cri/2017-2018/20180075.asp]

    Data published by the French Observatory for Drugs and Addiction shows that

one full year after the implementation of the policy, tobacco products shipped

to retailers (cigarettes and RYO/MYO) were broadly stable in France, with only

a slight evolution of -0.7% in volume, following a 1.3% increase in sales

during the first half of the year: https://www.ofdt.fr/ofdt/fr/tt171225.pdf

    Note to editors

    Methodology:

    2,464 interviews were conducted online among adults living in Great Britain

between 12th to 19th April 2018. Interviews were conducted using the Kantar TNS

Research Express, which uses the Lightspeed access panel as its sample source.

    About Research Express

    Research Express provides quick, reliable market research. Our scale and

advanced operational capabilities saves our clients both time and money.

Research Express is part of Kantar TNS.

    About Kantar TNS

    Kantar TNS is one of the world's largest research agencies with experts in

over 90 countries. With expertise in innovation, brand and communication,

shopper activation and customer experience, we help our clients identify,

optimise and activate the moments that matter to drive growth for their

business. We are part of Kantar, one of the world's leading data, insight and

consultancy companies. Find out more at http://www.tnsglobal.com.

    About JTI

    JTI is a leading international tobacco company with operations in more than

130 countries. It is the global owner of both Winston, the number two cigarette

brand in the world, and Camel outside the USA and has the largest share in

sales for both brands. Other global brands include Mevius and LD. With its

internationally recognized brand Logic, JTI is also a major player in the

e-cigarette market and has, since 2011, been present in the heated tobacco

category with Ploom. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the company employs

close to 40,000 people and was awarded Global Top Employer for four consecutive

years. JTI is a member of the Japan Tobacco Group of Companies. For more

information, visit http://www.jti.com.

    Full report available here

[https://www.jti.com/about-us/our-business/key-regulatory-submissions ].

SOURCE: JT International SA