British Government Backs off Tobacco Plain Packaging Laws

Source from:  The Sydney Morning Herald  07/16/2013

The British government has shelved plans to follow Australian cigarette plain packaging laws, a decision the country's opposition has linked to the influence of former Howard government adviser Lynton Crosby.

Federal health Minister Tanya Plibersek expressed her disappointment after the British Government said it would wait to see the results of this policy in Australia before taking any action.

Ms Plibersek said Australia's rate of smoking was low and falling.

"People are telling us that our new plain packaging and the larger graphic health warnings are putting them off," she said.

While tobacco companies hadn't changed the formula, people had said "their cigarettes taste worse since the Government's required packaging to be plain."

UK Prime Minister David Cameron faced criticism over the move, with opposition MPs asking whether the decision had been influenced by links between Mr Crosby, his chief party strategist, and tobacco companies.

In December 2012, Australia became the first country in the world to force tobacco firms to sell cigarettes in identical, olive-green packets bearing the same typeface and largely covered with graphic health warnings.

The British government is reported to be worried about the impact on jobs in the tobacco industry that any ban on branded packaging might have, especially at a time of austerity and economic stagnation.

Diane Abbott, health spokeswoman for the opposition Labour party, told parliament the government had made a "disgraceful U-turn".

"We have to ask, what happened? We suspect Lynton Crosby happened," she said, referring to the Australian election strategist who has been employed by Mr Cameron's centre-right Conservative party.

Mr Cameron's opponents have pounced on reports that a public relations firm run by Mr Crosby had previously acted for tobacco firms opposed to the Australian plain packaging move and alcohol companies which reject minimum pricing.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister rejected any link.

"The Prime Minister has never been lobbied by Lynton Crosby on cigarette packaging. The important point to stress on this issue is that Lynton Crosby has had no involvement in the decision," the spokesman told reporters.

Ms Plibersek said it was also no surprise to see that a former Coalition adviser was behind the UK's decision to shelve plans for plain packaging of tobacco - as the Coalition in Australia continue to take donations from big tobacco. Enditem