I’m so sorry for the recent lack of posts,
once again life has become crazy and time for research has become non existent!
I just wanted to draw your attention to recent
developments in the campaign we have been working on for well over a year now.
Cancer Research UK has been asking to government to introduce plain, standardised
packs for cigarettes. The campaign is aimed at
young people and trying to discourage them from taking up smoking in the first
place. IT IS NOT AIMED
AT PEOPLE WHO ALREADY SMOKE.
Thousands of people every year are diagnosed with cancer because they
have a smoking habit. Years of research has proven very clear links between
cancer and smoking. One in every four cancer deaths in the UK is directly
caused by smoking. a fifth of all cancer cases in the UK are also directly
caused by smoking. Cancer Research research shows that smoking is the most
important PREVENTABLE cause of cancer in the world.
More then four in five cases of Lung Cancer are caused
by smoking. Lung Cancer has one of the lowest survival rates. it is the most
common cause of cancer in the UK. Most of these cases are preventable if you
give up smoking and allow your lungs to recover.
As well as Lung Cancer, smoking also increases your risk of over a dozen other cancers:
* Mouth
* Larynx (Voicebox)
* Pharynx (Upper Throat)
* Nose and Sinuses
* Oesophagus (Food Pipe)
* Liver
* Pancreas
* Stomach
* Kidney
* Bladder
* Cervix
* Bowel
* One type of Ovarian
* Some types of Leukaemia
As well as Lung Cancer, smoking also increases your risk of over a dozen other cancers:
* Mouth
* Larynx (Voicebox)
* Pharynx (Upper Throat)
* Nose and Sinuses
* Oesophagus (Food Pipe)
* Liver
* Pancreas
* Stomach
* Kidney
* Bladder
* Cervix
* Bowel
* One type of Ovarian
* Some types of Leukaemia
* There is also evidence to suggest smoking can
increase the risk of you developing Breast Cancer
There are at least 80 cancer causing substances in
tobacco smoke. As you inhale the smoke these chemicals are released into your
lungs and spread about your body. According to scientists; these chemicals can
actually damage your DNA and mutate important genes, making your cells grow and
multiply until they are out of control.
I would like to make a very important point: I,
and everyone else at CRUK, fight for EVERYONE suffering from cancer and
EVERYONE who will suffer from cancer at some point in the future. No one
deserves cancer; it is a horrific disease that changes the lives of sufferers
and their loved ones. It is cruel and aggressive.
It doesn't discriminate. This campaign is not aimed at making
smokers feel like pariahs. It is not aimed at taking away your rights
as a smoker. It is not aimed at making smokers lives more difficult. It’s not
aimed at making smokers feel embarrassed, ashamed, guilty or pressurised to
quit. This campaign is aimed at children and trying to get them to not take up
smoking in the first place.
Cancer Research UK receives no government funding but has become the
world’s leading charity dedicated to fighting cancer and saving lives through
research. The charity is committed to reducing the harm caused by tobacco and
has played a significant role in securing a ban on tobacco advertising,
creating smoke free workplaces, removing cigarette vending machines and most
recently changing the laws surrounding tobacco displays in retailers. We are
now working hard to secure plain packaging and if the campaign is successful
then the UK will become the first nation in Europe to introduce plain
packaging.
Research has shown that eight out of ten smokers have started smoking by
the age of nineteen. Most of these smokers will develop an addiction that will
stay with them long into adulthood. Half of these long term smokers will die of
a smoking related illness such as cancer. That is a huge amount of people
suffering from an illness that could be prevented by not smoking in the first
place.
The campaigns team at CRUK have been very thorough in their research and
have providing their ambassadors with all the information needed. I have a list
of arguments and rebuttals against plain packaging and I will write them here
for you all to see:
“Plain Packaging will make packs easier to forge and will increase
smuggling”
Tobacco products are already really easy to forge so covert markings are
used to detect smuggled packs. These markings will remain on the plain packs.
“Plain Packaging will affect local shops”
Plain packaging is aimed at stopping young people from starting smoking
so sales will decline slowly over time giving shops a chance to adjust. Plain
packets will not have any detrimental effect on shopkeepers’ ability to find
the requested pack’ peer-reviewed research has suggested that plain packs will
actually speed up that process
“Cigarette prices will fall”
If there is any reduction in the price of cigarettes then taxes on
cigarettes can be raised to compensate
“We can’t afford to lose tax from smokers”
Taxing of cigarettes contributes £10 billion to the treasury every year.
HOWEVER the cost of smoking has been estimated to be £13.74 billion meaning the
strain of smoking related illnesses cost more than the tax is brings in.
No figure can be put on the cost of human suffering caused by cancer
“Plain packaging is illegal as it infringes on trade mark rights”
Nobody is taking trademarks away by including plain packaging.
International treaties have opt outs where public health in concerned so this
is not an illegal move at all.
The important thing to remember about this campaign is
that a lot of the campaigning has been done by volunteers like me. We are
members of the public who genuinely believe in the work of Cancer Research UK.
We are people who do this work in our spare time for no financial gains
whatsoever. You have to really believe in something to be willing to dedicate
hours and hours of your spare time to a cause, especially when you have a busy
career, a family to take care of and an everyday life to lead. That dedication
is a powerful tool. It means the work we do is genuinely done because we believe
in what we are doing. We are people who have been affected by cancer and want
to help prevent our experiences happening to others.
The other thing to remember is that the tobacco
companies have spent a hell of a lot of money on opposing this campaign. Why
would they do that if they were not worried that plain packaging would be a
threat to their profits? Two million pounds was spent by JTI alone. Tobacco
companies are not allowed to advertise their products anymore. Gone are the
days where a Benson and Hedges advert would loom down on you from one of those
massive billboards whilst you’re stuck in traffic. They have to rely on other
means of enticing smokers. Packets are one of them. Cigarette packets have
become increasingly glitzy in the past few years. Our campaign “Out of Sight,
Out of Mind” has also proven tricky for tobacco companies because now
cigarettes are hidden away in larger retailers.
Smoking is a
lifestyle choice. One that I try to understand and respect. If you know of the
dangers and choose to carry on smoking then that is entirely your prerogative
and I wish you well. I sincerely hope you are in the very small minority that’s
doe not get ill. But the fact remains that smoking is a dangerous habit and
children should be encouraged to not take up smoking at all in the first place.
The tobacco industry refers to children and young people as “pre smokers”, a
fact I find rather disgusting. Most smokers I know would hate for their
children to smoke.
If you believe
plain packaging won’t put young people off smoking then think of your time at
school. Imagine your mum put an ASDA own brand can of cola into your lunchbox
instead of a Coca-Cola can, would you not have been slightly embarrassed by it?
It’s the same logic with cigarettes – some are cooler then others. We all know
how much image means when you are young. Smoking a certain brand of cigarettes
will mean something. Taking the branding away will take that image away. No one
will look cooler then anyone else if everyone has the same packet.
A comment I hear
frequently is “if you’re doing this to tobacco, why not to alcohol?”. I have my
own opinion on this. Certain types of Alcohol, in moderation, can have some
health benefits whereas there are NO benefits to smoking. Absolutely none. It makes
your hair, skin and clothes smell. It ages your skin. It discolours your teeth
and nails. It damages your insides. It rots your teeth. It leads to a whole
host of life threatening illnesses. Not to mention the damage it will do to
your bank account.
I hope this blog post has provided you with all the information you need
about plain packaging and why so many people are for such a historic move.
Obviously, I understand that not everyone feels the same about the campaign but
I hope this blog post explains my feelings on the subject.
The government recently announced that they do
not intend to introduce plain, standardised cigarette packs which has been a
huge disappointment to us, especially when you consider that over half of the
detailed responses sent to Jeremy Hunt were in favour of the introduction of
plain, standardised packs. We are asking David Cameron to let parliament decide
on the issue with a free vote in the Commons. We need your help with this and I
would ask that you follow the link and fill in your details to send a letter
straight to the Prime Minister!
Please do feel free to use the comments box
above to ask me any questions and thank you so much for supporting our campaign
J
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