CPMA says plain packaging has failed following rise in young smokers

06 September 2021

Business

Ridgway: "A more effective control is by education and greater awareness"

The Consumer Packaging Manufacturers Alliance (CPMA) has called the 2017 introduction of plain packaging for tobacco products “a failed policy”, following a rise in the number of young smokers during lockdown.

The number of 18 to 34-year-olds in England who smoke increased by 25% in the first coronavirus lockdown, according to a study published in the journal Addiction and funded by Cancer Research UK.

This equates to over 652,000 more young adults smoking compared to before the pandemic, according to the charity’s estimates.

While the study provided no indication as to why this increase occurred, researchers suggested that it was possible that some people may have taken up smoking for the first time or relapsed “to help them ‘cope’”.

Commenting on the increase, CPMA director Mike Ridgway said plain packaging “has had no effect and is a failed policy”.

He told Printweek: “Although it is well known that tobacco is harmful, excessive regulation is not the answer to the problem. Although regulation does have a place, a more effective control is by education and greater awareness, especially for those at the very young age section of the spectrum.

“This policy has proven to be more effective when adopted in certain locations and for instance in Germany, who have adopted a school information programme on the subject.

“A similar increasing trend, according to the research, was also experienced regarding alcohol and drinking but this was across a whole range of age groups.”

Ridgway added the introduction of plain packaging “has not influenced the age group it was directed at in an effort to reduce their uptake in starting smoking”.

“Similar smoking increases have been reported in Australia, which first introduced the regulation, and in France the government have even questioned its effectiveness,” he said.

“[Plain packaging] has not stopped the increase in people taking up the habit while simultaneously being extremely detrimental to all aspects of the printing and packaging industry. The policy of adopting plain packaging for tobacco and possibly other consumer products should [be] reviewed and dropped at the earliest opportunity.”

In July Ridgway had cautioned that recommended regulation on certain foods could also cause issues for the printed packaging industry and the marketing of the products in question.