Tobacco giants support 'kiddie' packs
Nov 26, 2006, 17:26
|
|
CALLS to remove new "kiddie" packs of cigarettes from sale have been ignored by one of the world's largest cigarette manufacturers. But British American Tobacco (BAT) said the packs are a limited edition and will be available only for another month. BAT recently introduced split packs of its Dunhill brand, which divides a pack of 20 into two slimmer packs of 13 and seven cigarettes, incorporated under one flip-top lid. Cancer and anti-smoking groups have accused BAT of appealing to young people because the packs are slim and the high cost of cigarettes can be split among two people. The anti-smoking support organisation, Quit, has identified the packs in NSW and Victoria and branded them "kiddies packs", saying they target young people and breach advertising laws. News Limited newspapers reported today that BAT, at a presentation last month to tobacconists and newsagents, had stated the split packs were targeted for the "iPod generation" of younger smokers. A spokesman for BAT denied the claim today. Quit has lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) stating the pack may be a breach of the Trade Practices Act. ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said the consumer watchdog would investigate the complaint. Cigarette packs must display graphic photos that warn people about the effects of smoking, such as gangrene or mouth cancer, Quit says. The warnings must take up 90 per cent of a cigarette pack on one side and 30 per cent on the other. But the split pack, which connects on one edge with a perforated seam, displays only the Dunhill name on the pack of 13 where the larger graphic would normally be. Dunhill also advertises the quality of its tobacco next to the smaller warning on both sections of the split pack. "We would also oppose having pack sizes below 20," Quit executive director Todd Harper said. "Twenty is the minimum by legislation in some states so that you don't actually have these kiddie packs of cigarettes." The Cancer Council of NSW opposes the new packaging because it allows the "most vulnerable" group of smokers, 18-to-24-year-olds, easier access to cigarettes. "They are the group most vulnerable to opportunities to experiment and having split packets that allow people to experiment at a lower cost is obviously something we're concerned about," the council's health strategies director, Anita Tang, said. More than 30 per cent of young people smoke, the council said. BAT spokesman Bede Fennell denied the claims by the anti-smoking groups, saying BAT had not breached any laws and the new packs did not target young people. "This product is not designed to be split into two," Mr Fennell said. "This is evidenced by the fact that there is only one lid to cover the two compartments. The purpose of the two sections, and foil, is to ensure enhanced freshness of product." Mr Fennell said the split packs were a limited edition that would be available for only one month. He denied the decision to end their supply was a result of the negative responses from anti-smoking and cancer support organisations.
© Copyright 2006 by DiscountCigarettesBox.Com
Top of Page
|
Bond Cigarettes
