Cigarette packs are the 'Silence Salesman'

Number of people who continue to take up smoking, particularly young people

More than 200.000 under 16 years old, helping ensure a viable market remains for manufacturers once the number of people quitting and dying is taken into account

Pack is the last major vehicle for promotion

must be designed carefully

With laminated and special print effects, foil decorations and slide openings and bevelled edges

Silence Salesman

Manufacturers argue this is only about getting existing smokers to switch brands

The company only has 8.2% of the UK market

If people do not take up smoking the market will disappear

Against plain packaging

To helped reinforce health messages

Picture and text warnings become more credible and memorable

plain, darker colours are more likely to be perceived as harmful, the research concluded

The effect of plain packaging

2% figure quoted in Parliament by ministers