British American Tobacco responds to the Government’s tobacco control strategy for England

In response to the Department of Health’s plans to halve the number of smokers by 2020 – outlined in their document ‘A smokefree future: a comprehensive control strategy for England’ British American Tobacco said:

“We welcome the Government's commitment to tackle the serious illicit trade problem in the UK.

“But its decision to consider the case for plain packaging plays right into the hands of the very criminals they seek to clamp down on.

"Plain packs would require no complicated logos, colours or designs to be copied - making it far easier and cheaper for criminals to flood the market with mass produced fake products for sale on street corners. And the perverse outcome of this is that cigarettes will become more accessible to young people and the sections of society that these regulations seek to protect.

"There is no meaningful evidence to suggest that plain packaging would cut the number of young people smoking, nor encourage people to quit - as Ministers have admitted on many occasions.

"Studies to date are speculative - at best quoting opinions of how people might or might not behave. Good policy demands a rigorous evidence base.

"Packaging is fundamental to consumer choice in a competitive market. Manufacturers, retailers and consumers must be able identify and distinguish products.

"If the Government tries to introduce plain packaging it will have a huge fight on its hands. Brands are valuable corporate assets and the Government risks breaching various legal obligations relating to intellectual property rights, international trade and European law.

"It would also set a dangerous precedent for brands owned and used by other industries."

Notes to editors

•  The Department of Health’s press notice can be found at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/News/Recentstories/DH_111744
•  British American Tobacco is the world’s second largest stockmarket-listed tobacco group by global market share, with brands sold in more than 180 markets. Its subsidiary companies produced some 715 billion cigarettes through 49 cigarette factories in 41 countries in 2008 and employed more than 54,000 people.
•  Images to accompany this release are available on the Newscast website

Enquiries

British American Tobacco Press Office
David Betteridge / Kate Matrunola / Catherine Armstrong
+44 (0) 20 7845 2888 (24 hours)