Royal College of Psychiatrists endorses new report on tobacco control

Embargoed until Tuesday, October 07, 2008

A new report published by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and endorsed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists calls on the Government to introduce tough measures in its tobacco control plan, due to be released later this year.

The report, Beyond ‘Smoking Kills’: protecting children, reducing inequalities, is a landmark publication reflecting on 10 years of progress since the launch of the first ever Government white paper on smoking and recommending a comprehensive plan for the next decade. Beyond ‘Smoking Kills’ makes a 44 separate recommendations that could help a further 4.5 million smokers to quit by 2015.

Key recommendations include:

• Requiring plain packaging for all tobacco products
• Prohibiting the display of tobacco products in shops
• Clamping down on smuggling
• Giving smokers access to safer non-tobacco alternatives to smoking

As part of the report, ASH commissioned new research into consumer perceptions of tobacco branding. The study, which involved 516 adult smokers and 806 young people (both smokers and non-smokers), found that the branding of cigarette packets affects consumer perception of the attractiveness and relative safety of the products. If this branding is removed, young people find cigarettes less attractive and smokers are less likely to be misled about the safety (including tar content) of the cigarettes they smoke.

References:

Beyond 'Smoking Kills': Protecting Children, Reducing Inequalities (2008) Action on Smoking and Health

Note to editors:

For more information about the report, please contact the Action on Smoking and Health press office. Tel: 020 7739 5902