A VEHEMENT anti-smoking campaigner has been given new hope after joining peers in the fight for plain cigarette packaging.
Darlington School of Mathematics and Science deputy head boy Liam Pape was the only student nationally to be invited to the House of Commons for a campaign update.
Peers hosted a group of experts including members of Fresh North East, scientists, world health authorities and representative from the Newsagents Association for an exchange of ideas.
Liam, 16, said: “We hadn’t been very hopeful that the Government would do anything about standardised packaging. I had contacted David Cameron to see where he stood and he didn’t even reply.
“So we were delighted with the change of heart and that they had agreed to look again at the evidence coming out of Australia where the plain packaging is having a major impact on the habits of smokers.”
Liam has become the voice of youth on the smoking issue addressing many conferences and delivering a petition to No 10.
But he has been accused of being a ‘fictional character’ made up by Fresh because his arguments were too coherent for a 16-year-old.
“I am real,” he said. “I contacted the campaign group Fresh North East last week highlighting that one brand of cigarettes was using packaging that looked like Lego to make it appealing to young people and another which looked like a lipstick to appeal to girls and women.
“Opinion among young people remains divided; some never go near them, others try them and discover they are disgusting, but there are still too many becoming addicted.”
Assistant head teacher Steve Parr added: “Everyone is tremendously impressed with Liam’s campaigning and he has become a leading authority on the smoking issue. “The fact he is young and chooses to speak out has enormous impact on his peers and by doing so he adds real weight to the campaign.”
