French tobacconists mount cigarette packaging protest

Angry French tobacconists are mounting a protest campaign against government moves to force cigarette companies to use plain, unbranded packaging.

Hundreds of them marched through the streets of Paris claiming they will lose money if the legislation is introduced next year.

carrot protest

Besides organising a petition of support they have already dumped tones of carrots – representing the cigarette motif seen promoting French tobacconist shops – outside the ruling Socialist party’s HQ.

French tobacconists dump carrots outside ruling party HQ http://t.co/B22GTEjU4V— Jack Steinmann (@jacksteinmann) July 23, 2015

They have also been sabotaging speed cameras by “hooding” them in a symbolic “cover up” that they say deprives the government of money in the same way that anti-smoking legislation will reduce tobacco sales.

plain packaging

The packet design at the centre of the dispute has already been adopted in Australia. Sixty-five percent of it will be taken up with health