Three medical associations, including the Royal College of Physicians, issued a joint statement calling on the United Kingdom to push ahead with plans to follow Australia’s lead and mandate plain packaging for tobacco products.

“We believe that standardised tobacco packaging should be introduced internationally to reduce smoking uptake amongst children and young people,” states a letter signed by Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians, Dr Hilary Cass, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Dr Leslie Bolitho, president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. The letter, posted on the website of the Royal College of Physicians, was sent to The Independent.
Separately, The Independent said it confirmed earlier news reports that a plain packaging proposal will not be included in the Queen’s Speech on 8 May. The government will wait to see whether the Australian law, in force since the end of 2012, will reduce the smoking rate, the newspaper reported. (ci)