Litter Prevention Program
Phone: (416) 321-0633
  • Home
    • 2014 Annual Report
    • This Week in 'Litterland' >
      • Current Edition
      • Past Issues by Date
    • Guide
  • Media
    • Sheila's Shlog >
      • Dear Diary
    • About >
      • Press Release
      • Program Brochure >
        • Program Details
      • What People Say >
        • Visitor Feedback
  • Get Involved
    • Partnerships
    • Help Us >
      • Our Friends
    • Heroes
  • News Reel
    • Feb 2023
    • Jan 2023 >
      • Dec 2022
      • Nov 2022 >
        • Oct 2022
        • Sep 2022 >
          • Aug 2022
          • Jul 2022
          • Jun 2022
          • May 2022
          • Apr 2022 >
            • Mar 2022
            • Feb 2022
            • Jan 2022
            • Dec. 2021
            • Nov. 2021 >
              • Oct. 2021
              • Sep. 2021
              • Aug. 2021
              • Jul. 2021
              • Jun. 2021
              • May 2021
              • Apr. 2021 >
                • Mar. 2021
                • Feb. 2021
                • Jan. 2021
                • Dec. 2020 >
                  • Nov. 2020
                  • Oct. 2020
                  • Sep. 2020
                  • Aug. 2020
                  • Jul. 2020
                  • Jun. 2020 >
                    • May 2020
                    • Apr. 2020
                    • Mar. 2020
                    • Feb. 2020
                    • Jan. 2020 >
                      • Dec. 2019
                      • Nov. 2019
                      • Oct. 2019
                      • Sep. 2019
                      • Aug. 2019
                      • Jul. 2019
                      • Jun. 2019
                      • May 2019
                      • Apr. 2019
                      • Mar. 2019 >
                        • Feb. 2019
                        • Jan. 2019
                        • Dec. 2018
                        • Nov. 2018
                        • Oct. 2018
                        • Sep. 2018 >
                          • Aug. 2018
                          • Jul. 2018
                          • Jun. 2018
                          • May 2018
                          • Apr. 2018
                          • Mar. 2018
                          • Feb. 2018
                          • Jan. 2018
  • Photo Gallery
    • Video
    • Library
    • Butts and More Butts
    • Clean Up Days
    • Coffee Cups
    • Litter Photos
    • Poster
  • Prevent Litter
    • You Vote
    • Opinion Poll
    • Causes
    • Solutions
    • Benefits
    • Tips >
      • For Business
    • Tobacco litter >
      • Fact Sheet
      • Letter to Imperial Tobacco
    • Resources >
      • Marine Litter
      • Plastics
    • Why Prevent Litter?
    • Toronto
  • Contact
    • Corporate Brochures
    • WORDS Media & Communications Inc.

Dedicate April Fools' Day to people who litter

4/1/2014

0 Comments

 

No joke: Australia's plain packaging law increases smoking and litter

Today is the closest the world gets to a calendar date dedicated to people who litter.  April Fools' Day.  Only a fool would think it is okay to spread his or her legacy of loose waste on the planet.  Yet so many people do this.  They can be rich or broke, dressed in pinstripes or tatters, drive a luxury car or take the bus.  People who litter come in all shapes, sizes, incomes and backgrounds.  This is the same description that experts use when speaking about rapists, bullies, addicts and other abusers in the anti-social realm.

Mindless fools.  One remedy to littering could be found in mindfulness training.  Awareness really does open eyes.

But, since April Fools' is all about tricks and surprise endings, here’s news that fits the bill: a quit-smoking measure has backfired on Australia, a global zealot among nations bent on legislating smoking out of existence.  Underpinning the strategy was the country’s forerunning move in December 2012 to demand plain packaging for tobacco products – no more branding with fetchingly colourful logos and designs.  All cigarettes were mandated into identical, drab packaging.

The latest study proves to be a mockery of the entire idea that plain packages reduce smoking, and, tangentially, litter.  A recent report has debunked that premise by pointing out that smoking has increased with the advent of plain packs.

Figures released March 25 from AU tobacco companies show a rise in tobacco sales by 59 million cigarettes while black market ‘branded’ packs also flooded the market in the first year of plain packaging.  Funny, tobacco sales had been on a steady downward slide before 2009 and all the attendant publicity around the government's measure.  Under the new approach, black market sales climbed by 154 per cent, according to KPMG research.  All the more to be littered, so a blow to the environmental keep clean movements as well. 

More smuggled product is being seized by Australian Customs. Illegal tobacco seizures more than doubled to 200 million in 2012/13 from 82 million in 2010/11.

Figures from the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service show illegal tobacco seizures have more than doubled between 2010/11 and 2012/13 from 82 million cigarettes to 200 million.

Two separate university studies tried but were unable to link plain packaging to deterring smoking among youth 14-17.

I bet the tobacco companies wish they could recoup all the money they expended on fighting Australia’s plain packaging laws in the first place.  This April Fools' Day, Team Big Tobacco Australia is having the last laugh, if not the last cough.

And did I mention that G20 leaders have agreed to host a 2016 world summit on litter laws and solutions?  April Fools'!

See the news story that inspired this blog.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Creative communications consultant Sheila White is founder of the Litter Prevention Program, and prior worked as a communications ace and PR strategist for some of Ontario's top political names.

    Archives

    September 2021
    May 2021
    July 2020
    January 2020
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    October 2017
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012

    Categories

    All
    Advertising
    Art
    Canada Post
    Education
    Entertainment
    Environment
    Litter
    Litter Prevention
    Psychology
    Recycling
    Religion
    Rob Ford
    Tobacco Litter
    Toronto
    Waste Management

    RSS Feed