The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled against Japan Tobacco International (JTI) over an advertising campaign it ran in July 2012.

The £2m campaign stated that the UK government had rejected the plain packaging of cigarettes in 2008 due to a lack of credible evidence. The ASA upheld the complaint brought by leading tobacco control groups that this was misleading.

The Department of Health first consulted on plain packing for tobacco products in 2008, but did not introduce it in legislation in 2008-9. The then secretary of state for health Alan Johnson stated that there was “no evidence base that [plain packaging] actually reduces the number of young children smoking”.

However Department of Health officials clarified that it was not accurate to describe the decision as an outright rejection of the plain packaging proposal. They advised that while plain, standardised packs were not introduced, the government had kept open the potential for it to be considered at a later date and committed to keeping the position under active review.

JTI, whose flagship brands include Camel and Benson and Hedges, said it was “disappointed” with the ruling.

“Whilst we disagree with the ASA’s decision, we will not use the advertisements in question again. We also disagree with those who it appears wish to close down this debate and will continue to express our concerns, as it is essential that common sense and sound evidence prevail.

“Given the importance of this issue the government is duty bound to provide robust and compelling evidence that plain packaging would achieve its policy objectives,” JTI said.

Sarah Woolnough, Cancer Research UK’s executive director of policy and information, said: “We are pleased that the ASA agreed that the claims in JTI’s adverts could not be substantiated and are misleading. This decision again shows that the tobacco industry plays fast and loose with the facts. For years the tobacco industry denied the link between smoking and cancer, and has always opposed effective policies to cut smoking.”

The ASA has ruled that the ads must not appear again in their current form. 

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