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The packaging of tobacco is a major
part of its advertising - as the tobacco industry admits in its own
documents. That's why ASH and other organisations support the call for
mandated plain and standardised packaging of tobacco products.
See our Tobacco
Facts: Plain Packaging of Tobacco
NEWS:
Health
groups hit back with ad campaign and ACCC complaint
18/8/10: Health groups have asked "Who's pulling the
strings?" in an ad campaign countering the tobacco industry's
misleading anti-plain packaging ads. See
health
groups' counter-ad
The Public Health
Association of Australia,
Cancer Council Australia, Heart Foundation, VicHealth, ASH and the Australian Council on Smoking and
Health have also written to the
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission seeking a ban on the "misleading and deceptive"
tobacco-funded ads. The letter points out
that the "Alliance of Australian Retailers" was hastily formed
with a sole shareholder and a sham address; and that the campaign does
not, as claimed, come from a
broad base of small retailers. See
Melbourne
Age 14/8/10
The
anti-plain packs campaign debacle
The story so far: On
August 4, 2010, it was revealed that the three major tobacco companies
(BAT, Philip Morris and Imperial) had put $5m into a misleading
election-period mass media ad
campaign against plain packaging, fronted by the hastily-formed
"Australian Alliance of Retailers" and allegedly associated
with former Liberal Party figures.
ASH
(release 4/8/10) and other health groups, and six
Australians of the Year (statement 11/8/10)
condemned the campaign and called on all political parties to honour the
government commitment to mandate plain packs by July 2012. The ALP and
Greens reaffirmed their support; the Liberal/National parties have
agreed only to "consider" it.
Meanwhile major retailers
including Coles dissociated themselves from the ad campaign (see
Daily
Telegraph 11/8/10); and Woolworths followed, repudiating the
campaign and accusing retail groups of "deceptive behaviour"
(see Daily
Telegraph 13/8/10).
Think tank
arguments against plain packs "demolished" in debate
3/6/10: Right wing think tank the Institute of Public Affairs has
had its arguments against plain packaging of tobacco
"demolished" in a debate at Melbourne University - described
as "academic blood sport" by Simon Chapman, Professor of Public Health at
Sydney University and ASH Australia director, in a www.crikey.com.au
article (3/6/10).
Tim Wilson of the IPA was upset
with Media
Watch’s probing
of his think tank's apparent parroting of tobacco industry arguments. Wilson's
"rough
calculations" had suggested legal action could cost the
government "up to $3 billion
a year".
On the 7.30
Report, Wilson elaborated, claiming constitutional, trademark and
international treaty barriers.
In the Melbourne Uni debate, Professor Mark Davison,
Professor of Law at Monash and a trademark expert, rubbished
Wilson's claims, concluding emphatically: "They haven't got a
case." Read Prof Davison's earlier comments
in the Melbourne
Age 4/5/10
Australia first country to mandate
plain packs
29/4/10: The Australian
government has announced plain packaging of tobacco products will be
mandatory by January 2012 (since amended to July 2012) - the first country in the world to set a deadline.
ASH Australia and other health groups have hailed the decision as a
major step in the fight against tobacco. See
government
announcement and
ASH media
release 29/4/10 See how
the plain packs should look

Is
the tobacco industry trying to get smokers used to
plain packaging?
See this slim
sleeve - spool down to pictures under "Tobacco's latest
slick marketing ploys"
EVIDENCE AND RESOURCES
-
ASH Tobacco
Facts: Plain Packaging of Tobacco - 2 page pdf factsheet
summary, with illustrations (July 2010)
-
The case for plain
packaging of tobacco
2007 Sydney University report
with illustrations
-
History
of Plain Packaging: timeline -
great dot-point history resource from Physicians for a Smoke-free
Canada (2009)
-
Preventative Health
Taskforce recommends plain packaging
2009 Preventative Health Taskforce recommendation that
Australia move towards mandatory plain packaging of tobacco and
larger health warnings. See
Action Area 5, pp. 181-5 of the report's tobacco
chapter
The
tobacco industry is complaining that this will interfere with their
branding rights - but see study
showing this is an attempt to bluff governments. See
reponse 5/3/10 by ASH Board member Prof Simon
Chapman
See some pics
of the industry's latest creative uses of packets as
advertising - limited editions, discount offers, health warning
breaches and more.
-
Tobacco packaging and
labelling
2009: The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
has produced a comprehensive guide
including health
warnings, misleading packaging, plain packaging, evidence,
legislation and implementation.
-
Pack colours and
design mislead smokers
2009: Colours of cigarette packs can mislead smokers into
thinking certain brands are less harmful, says this study. Full study pdf in Journal
of Public Health See
Sydney
Morning Herald report 5/8/09
-
Youth call for plain
packaging
2009: Youth groups have called for plain packaging of tobacco
products, in a statement on National Youth Tobacco Free
Day. See Cancer
Council ACT media release 27/3/09
THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY RESPONSE
-
Tobacco's
"endless challenge"
August 2010: See the tobacco industry's latest arguments against
plain packaging on pp. 24-25 of August edition of Convenience
and Impulse Retailing
- also includes a
feature on AACS (convenience umbrella group) chief Sheryle Moon,
before the AACS was pulled out of the plain packs campaign by
retailers embarrassed by the tobacco-funded campaign.
-
Tobacco-funded $5m
election campaign against plain packs
August 2010: The tobacco industry paid $5m to a retailers' front group to
run a media ad
campaign in the leadup to Federal elections. The
campaign was condemned by health groups including ASH
and by an Open
Letter (11/8/10) from six Australians of the Year.
Major retailers Coles and Woolworths repudiated the ads.
-
Tobacco industry tries to bluff Rudd
out of plain pack plan
March 2010: Tobacco companies used
"very silly" myths to try to block a proposal for plain
packaging of tobacco recommended by the National Preventative
Health Taskforce. See
Crikey
comment 5/3/10 by ASH Board member Prof Simon Chapman
-
Philip
Morris plain packaging website shows they see
it as a major threat. They claim there's no evidence for its
effectiveness, that it
violates trademark rights (see above response from Prof Davison
of Monash Uni to these arguments) and will boost illicit trade.
-
Philip Morris scare
campaign against plain packaging
2009: Tobacco giant Philip Morris sent a glossy scare campaign to Australian tobacco retailers
against the
plain packaging proposal - claiming it would be "very
difficult" for retailers, "increase security risk",
"inconvenience customers" and "limit consumer
choice". See pics
of the the Philip Morris campaign
-
Tobacco industry's
phoney campaign against plain packaging in Australia
2009: Study presented at world conference shows how tobacco
industry worked to mislead Australian and Canadian governments with
"phoney" arguments against generic (plain) tobacco
packaging. See
the
study
Tips
for taking tobacco action - tell governments and MPs what you think
of plain packaging.
Senate
inquiry webpage including submission info - submissions close April 30, 2010
This link will help you become
an ASH supporter (no cost)
You
can also help us by supporting
us financially - or with your time and effort…..
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