Le Monde – 4 November 2011
Tobacco: for a “killer pays” tax
On 2 November 2011, the Ligue contre le Cancer (League against Cancer) distributed plain cigarette packets with the text “Le tabac tue” (tobacco kills), to raise awareness about the harmful effects of smoking. These packets were accompanied by a petition calling for a tax on tobacco companies on the principle the polluter pays”.
Tobacco consumption rose in 2010 and in order to “Get France away from tobacco before 2030″, the Ligue contre le cancer is asking for manufacturers to pay 10 cents per packet.
Moreover, the Ligue contre le cancer is asking for brands not to be displayed and for cigarette packets to be plain. Karine Gallopel-Morvan, associate professor in social marketing at the EHESP, stressed that packaging “plays a major role in the act of purchasing, in particular for young people and women.”