Using plain printed labels on tobacco products could stop many people in Britain from becoming smokers, a campaign group has said.
Smokefree South West is among the organisations that are calling for products such as cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging, alongside the likes of Cancer Research UK and Action on Smoking and Health, reports the Guardian.
Dr Gabriel Scally, spokesman for the group, believes this move would be beneficial as it could deter consumers from taking up the habit in the first place.
"It could turn off the tap for the recruitment of many smokers in this country," he commented.
However, Dr Scally acknowledged that implementing such a policy in the UK could be problematic, as it would involve "taking on vested interests".
According to figures from the NHS, more than one in five adults in England smoke cigarettes, while the habit is more common among men than women.
Denny Bros Ltd, 25 January 2012
