We’ve long since said goodbye to advertising that promotes cigarettes. This year, a new directive will come into force in the UK that entirely changes the look of all cigarette packets. It is this law that has been fought by the big tobacco companies in the hope it could be overturned. However, a case at the Court of Appeal in early December 2016 was lost by the big tobacco companies, including Imperial Tobacco and British American Tobacco.
They fought against the measures that will soon see all cigarette packets looking much the same. The new packaging must be plain from May this year, with the onus given over to health warnings on each pack. Roughly two-thirds of the pack’s surface (65%) must be taken up by health warnings of the dangers of smoking cigarettes. The only mention of the brand name of the cigarettes will be on the underside of the pack.
Aiming to make cigarette smoking less appealing
While the additional regulation has infuriated tobacco companies, the idea is to discourage younger people from starting to smoke to begin with. At present, there are health warnings on packets that will hopefully discourage people from smoking or encourage them to give us. However, some people might still be swayed by seeing a brand name or colour scheme they recognise as being smoked by someone else.
Imagine what a row of the new cigarette packets will look like when they are launched in May. All you would see if presented with them would be a series of health warnings – not conducive to encouraging you to smoke. Clearly, tobacco companies are worried about their bottom line, if fewer people take up smoking in the future.
Could this also encourage more smokers to switch to vaping?
You may already be aware of the increased number of vaping shops that have been popping up all over the country. While the vaping industry is also being regulated this year, it would seem to be in a less stringent fashion than the tobacco industry.
We wonder if the plain packaging, minimal brand information and large health warnings will drive even more people towards trying vaping for the first time. After all, before now, people had no real alternative other than trying patches or chewing gum. Vaping has already helped thousands of people quit smoking altogether. Could the industry be boosted still further by the new cigarette packets we will start seeing this year?
