JTI hits out at 'flawed' debate on plain cigarette packaging
Von buycigarettes, 14:00
JTI, which owns the Camel silver and Silk Cut brands, said the Department of Health has refused to meet its representatives for eight years despite leading the consultation. As a result, Martin Southgate, UK managing director of JTI, fears the tobacco industry will not receive a fair hearing on the proposals. JTI believes the policy will simply drive more business into the hands of cigarette counterfeiters and fail to reduce overall smoking levels.
“There are worrying indicators that the Department of Health has already decided to introduce plain packaging despite the lack of evidence,” Mr Southgate said at the launch of a £2m advertising campaign flagging its concerns. JTI highlighted an impact assessment of unbranded packaging, published by the Government, which says it would be “impractical” to maintain complete “impartiality” on the issue.
Mr Southgate expressed concerns that emotions around the health consequences of smoking are clouding whether plain packaging would do anything to solve serious issues such as cigarettes falling into the hands of children. “The measures proposed in this case will not achieve its claimed goals. It is likely to have serious consequences, and sets a precedent in terms of government intervention that the UK public should think about very carefully,” Mr Southgate said, adding that the plans amounted to “commercial vandalism”.
He said he hoped “common sense” would prevail but said the industry would be prepared to take similar action in the UK as in Australia, where manufacturers have challenged similar proposals through the courts. A DoH spokeswoman insisted the Government is “open-minded” about the consultation, which closes next month. Imperial Tobacco has called for Business Secretary Vince Cable to intervene in the debate to ensure the potential economic impact is understood.
