Bill seeks to put health warnings on cigarette sticks

A Bill to put health warnings on cigarette sticks is being put to the parliament today (14 June).

The Cigarette Stick Health Warnings Bill by Lord Young of Cookham proposes both cigarettes and cigarette papers to display health warnings such as ‘Smoking Kills’ or ‘Smoking Causes Cancer’.

“As Health Minister [in Margaret Thatcher’s government] I suggested health warnings on cigarettes might help more people quit smoking. The tobacco companies told me this would make cigarettes more dangerous, as the ink was carcinogenic. Plainly this is nonsense given that tobacco already contains 70 cancer causing chemicals,” Lord Young said.

“In the intervening years the evidence that warnings on cigarettes would help smokers quit has grown. This is a simple measure with minimal cost that could help deliver the Government’s Smokefree 2030 ambition.”

The Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said the public support is high for the measure with 70 per cent of the respondents in a YouGov poll for the charity supporting the proposal for health warnings to be printed on cigarette sticks.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, said: “Cigarettes not cigarette packs kill smokers, so obviously the sticks themselves are where health warnings are most needed. Lord Young’s private member’s bill could finally put the warnings on cigarettes he first proposed four decades ago.

“His Bill is supported by parliamentarians, leading health organisations and the public. All that is needed is the support of the government and Britain can become the first nation in the world to put ‘Smoking Kills’ where it belongs, on the cigarette itself.”