Campaigners against standardised packaging of tobacco today launched an online advertising campaign against the policy.

 

The No, Prime Minister campaign was created by the smokers' group Forest which runs the Hands Off Our Packs campaign. It features a letter that opponents of plain packaging can send to David Cameron in Downing Street.

 

According to the letter there is no credible evidence that children start smoking because of packaging, or that plain packaging will deter children from smoking.

 

It calls on David Cameron to wait until government has studied the impact of the tobacco display ban, which will not be fully implemented until 2015, and the introduction of larger health warnings which are being introduced in 2016 as part of the EU's revised Tobacco Products Directive.

 

Simon Clark, director of Forest, said: "Plain packaging is yet another attack on retailers and adult consumers. People are sick of being nannied by government. Britain needs to be protected from excessive regulation, not controlled by more and more legislation.

 

"A four-month government consultation resulted in over 665,000 responses with a substantial majority, 427,888, opposed to the policy. We urge the prime minister to respect the outcome of that consultation which members of the public responded to in good faith."

 

The campaign runs for 72 hours and will have total exposure on websites and blogs including Guido Fawkes, ConservativeHome, Labour List, Liberal Democrat Voice, Left Foot Forward, UK Polling Report, Political Betting and Newsbiscuit.