Note: World Lung Foundation united with The Union North America. From January 2016, the combined organization is known as “Vital Strategies.”
(New York, USA) – World Lung Foundation (WLF) today called on the UK Government to honour its commitments to a global treaty on tobacco control. According to recent press reports, the government has invited tobacco companies to discuss the Government’s proposed introduction of plain cigarette packaging. Yet as a signatory to the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the UK Government is obligated to protect its public health policies from the commercial interests of the tobacco industry, making such meetings a violation of international law.
Peter Baldini, Chief Executive Officer, World Lung Foundation, commented: “We were very concerned to hear that the Government has taken the retrograde step of inviting the industry to discuss proposed plain packaging legislation. Let’s be clear: tobacco companies are determined to stop plain packaging because they know their own slick branding and packaging influences people to smoke more. This motive is a clear conflict of interest with public health. Over a fifth of deaths in the UK are due to tobacco. Smoking costs the UK economy 9,584 million US dollars every year, just in direct costs. Is the UK government really willing to break international law and risk health policy to give audience to an industry whose primary goal is to enrich shareholders at the expense of thousands of British lives every year?”
Mr Baldini continued: “Instead of inviting Big Tobacco to the table, the UK should follow Australia’s lead and defend its right to introduce plain packaging legislation. In the past the UK has been one of the most innovative in developing and implementing strategies to fight against the dreadful health and economic burden of tobacco use. The UK’s first anti-smoking campaign was launched in 1969, but 43 years later over a fifth of UK adults smoke and 45 per cent of 13-15 year olds are exposed to secondhand smoke in the home. It is time for the UK to take a big step forward to reduce tobacco use – and that is introducing plain packaging legislation.”