MP KEVIN Barron says putting cigarettes in plain packaging will help cut the number of children picking up the habit.
Mr Barron has backed a call from the British Heart Foundation and Action on Smoking and Health to ban attractive colours.
The Rother Valley MP, a long-standing anti-tobacco lobbyist and former Health Select Committee chairman, reckons dull packs would help.
He said: “It’s shocking that despite a ban on tobacco advertising, children are still being lured into a lifetime of addiction because of the way glitzy packaging makes cigarettes look so appealing.
“The reality is that smoking is a deadly addiction that kills half of smokers but many young people are simply unaware of this.
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“Introducing plain packs would minimise the dangerous allure of cigarettes and reduce the chances of children starting to smoke.”
The BHF and ASH showed MPs a film of kids’ differing reactions to the designs.
Three-quarters of young people think the ban would help people to quit, according to the charities.
Members were also told that one in four smokers believe one pack of cigarettes to be healthier than another based on packaging.
The Government is due to launch a public consultation this spring.
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