07/10/2013

Call For Better Warnings On Cigarette Packs

Only a third (36%) of UK teenagers are deterred from smoking by current cigarette packs, compared to half (48%) of teenagers in Australia, where packs are almost entirely covered by graphic warnings, according the British Heart Foundation.

The poll of 2,500 13- to 18-year-olds in the UK and Australia, the first country in the world to adopt standardised cigarette packs last year, revealed nearly 8 in 10 (77%) British teenagers think the UK should introduce standardised cigarette packs.

10 per cent of teenagers in the UK make the incorrect assumption that certain cigarette brands are healthier than others, twice as many as Australian teens (5%).

Chief Executive Simon Gillespie said: "The message from our young people is loud and clear: current health warnings aren’t up to the job and the UK Government must step up to the mark and introduce standardised packs."

(CD/IT)

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