An international coalition of 47 think tanks and taxpayer associations sent a letter to World Health Organisation Director Margaret Chan criticising WHO’s support of plain packaging, which group condemns as an attack on intellectual property rights.

“Plain packaging prohibits the use of trademarks and therefore significantly erodes the value of this intellectual property,” the letter states. WHO made plain packaging to fight the spread of tobacco products the theme of World No Tobacco Day on 31 May.
Signed by groups including the Property Rights Alliance in the US, Australian Taxpayer’s Union, the Institute for Domocracy and Economic Affairs in Malaysia and the Egyptian Centre for Public Policy, the letter states plain packs for cigarettes have not been proven effective in reducing smoking. Mandated uniform packaging is spreading to other product areas, the authors warn.
“Most outrageously, plain packaging has even been suggested for toys, with the argument that some toys reinforce boys to be “macho” and girls to be “submissive,” therefore, proponents demand a public campaign for plain packaging on toys for children,” the letter states. The text can be accessed at:
https://goo.gl/Dg8s1k