Evidence plainly missing

Lithuania’s Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis has said that there are no compelling arguments in support of the claim that the introduction of standardized tobacco production would cut smoking prevalence, according to a Baltic News Service story relayed by the TMA.
Proposed amendments to Lithuania’s Law on the Control of Tobacco, Tobacco Products and Related Products drafted by the Ministry of Health would require standardized packaging for cigarettes, ban the retail display of tobacco products, and prohibit smoking on residential balconies, in outdoor cafés, at beaches and other outdoor areas.
Skvernelis said that while the Government supported a ban on tobacco product displays in shops, it did not see sufficient arguments for introducing standardized packaging for cigarettes.
He said the proposal should be amended to protect non-smokers’ rights while balancing the interests of smokers, “because imposing bans and restrictions without offering alternatives is a simple way, but it was not approved”.
The introduction of standardized packaging was a highly-debatable measure, he added, and there were no clear arguments that it would cut smoking prevalence.