Tobacco 2012

Every year, another 340,000 children in theUKare tempted to try smoking. And research has shown that they are more likely to be attracted by designed tobacco packs, than by plain packs.

The plain packaging of tobacco means that all tobacco products will be required to look the same. All brand names would have to be written in a standard typeface, colour and size. And all other trademarks, logos, colour schemes and graphics would be banned.

With regulation in place to restrict television, radio and other advertising, packaging is becoming more and more important to the tobacco industry to help sell their products.

Shiny holograms, pretty pastel colours and wrappers are just some of the eye-catching pack designs available, and there is building evidence to suggest that these packs can attract and mislead children.

The government are running a consultation until 12^th of July to  seek views on whether cigarettes should be sold in standardised packaging. If introduced this new legislation could help:

• cigarette packaging look less attractive to children
• make the health warnings stand out more
• stop young smokers believing that some brands are less harmful than others

If you support this proposal please go to www.plainpacksprotect.co.uk.   And sign up. Your feedback will be included in the public consulation.

Second hand smoke

Whenever you light up, secondhand smoke is produced. This is the smoke exhaled by you, plus the smoke created by the lit end of a cigarette. Secondhand smoke is made up of gases and microscopic particles. This isn't just unpleasant, it can be a killer.

Here's a little taster of what secondhand smoke contains:

• For starters there's Arsenic. This is the stuff that's used in rat poison.
• Then there's Benzene which is found in petrol fumes and can cause leukaemia.
• And Cyanide, which is poisonous and an industrial pollutant.

Plus about 4,500 other chemicals, many of which are irritants or toxins and more than 50 are known carcinogens. They're the ones that can cause cancer.