WHO urged to end 'ineffective' tobacco plain packaging

The removal of brands from packaging is a “gross violation” of intellectual property rights and has failed to achieve its intended goals, the Property Rights Alliance argues in a letter to the World Health Organisation.

In an open letter to WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Gehbreyesus, an international alliance of 62 think tanks, advocacy groups and civil-society organisations said it was time to end “ineffective” plain packaging for any kind of product.

The alliance said they had sent the letter in response to a growing number of plain packaging tobacco control measures in a number of countries.

Citing Australia as an example, the alliance said the measure on tobacco was a “complete failure”.