The plain truth

John Lee of the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (Letters, 29 September) misinterprets our study (your report, 27 September). While its cross-sectional nature cannot demonstrate absolute causality, to say the research does not demonstrate a link between attractive packaging and starting to smoke is completely incorrect.

The measure of smoking susceptibility used in the study is a well validated predictor of future uptake. It has also been successfully used to demonstrate the causal relationship between tobacco advertising and child smoking.

This takes us to the heart of the matter: packaging is an advertising tool. Given the advertising ban, it provides one of the last opportunities for tobacco companies to communicate positive messages about smoking, and our research shows these are reaching and harming children.

It demonstrates that packs with bright colours, shiny designs, and gimmicks such as novel methods of opening, are associated by adolescents with young, attractive and happy people.

Children also think smaller and lighter coloured packs mean the contents are less harmful – a dangerous misperception.

While controls on point-of-sale display will protect young people from seeing these deceptive packs in shops, they continue to be exposed to them on a daily basis through family or peer smoking, when passing smoking areas or as litter in the street.

By contrast, there is a growing body of evidence to show that plain packaging reduces the appeal of tobacco to young people, increases the salience of health warnings, and underlines the dangers of smoking.

Adolescents associate plain packaging with a harmful and dirty product that is not appealing to them. This is surely a good thing and the Scottish Government’s determination to pursue this policy despite Westminster wobbling is to be welcomed.

Allison Ford

(Prof) Gerard Hastings

The Institute for Social Marketing and

The UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies

University of Stirling

I am pleased the Scottish Grocers’ Federation has moved some way on plain, standardised packs for tobacco products. Alas, despite what seems to be an acceptance of more and more evidence that young people are attracted by packaging, the organisation now seems to want to cast doubt on whether this attraction actually causes more young people to smoke.

As a society we should demand that anyone opposing measures intended to protect our children should have to come up with strong reasons not to proceed. This new suggestion seems particularly weak.

Look around the shops at the fancy brands and designs adorning all the products. Clearly all those manufacturers and marketing managers have no doubt whatsoever that what is more attractive is more likely to be bought.

Sheila Duffy

ASH Scotland

Frederick Street

Edinburgh