Lord Young of Cookham is introducing a private member’s bill into the House of Lords aiming to put health warnings on cigarette sticks, reports Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

Lord Young had proposed health warnings on cigarettes when he was a health minister forty years ago. Back then tobacco manufacturers blocked the proposal that is now being introduced to the House of Lords. If made lawful, the Bill which is supported by parliamentarians, leading health organisations and the public would require not only packaging but also individual cigarettes and cigarette papers to display health warnings, according to ASH. A poll conducted by YouGov for ASH showed that 70 per cent of the surveyed people supported the proposal with only 8 per cent opposing it.
“Cigarettes not cigarette packs kill smokers, so obviously the sticks themselves are where health warnings are most needed. As a health minister, George Young proposed just that, but Big Tobacco thwarted him,” said Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH.
“As Health Minister 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,” said Lord Young.