A new short film by the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) shows that the bright packaging on cigarette packs appeals to children as young as nine, but standardised packs showing the health consequences of smoking repels them.

According to the ICS, the film, which was shot using 3rd class pupils from Scoil Aonghusa Primary School in Tallaght in Dublin, shows that tobacco marketing does work on young children.

The children found the branded cigarette packs appealing, particularly in relation to the shiny and colourful packaging. Some also liked the ‘fancy writing' on the packs.

However, the Government has announced plans to introduce legislation which will require cigarettes to be packaged in plain or standardised packaging, with no logos, branding or designs.

In the ICS film, the same children are shown standard boxes containing pictorial evidence of the health effects of smoking. The children were shocked by these boxes and described them as disgusting.

One girl described the pictures as gross and said, ‘why do people do it because that's what it (smoking) can cause'. She then asked ‘why do they make smokes in the first place?'

"We know that young people are a key target market for the tobacco industry, which needs to recruit 50 new smokers a day to replace those who have either died or quit, in order to keep making profits. Most of these new smokers are children and 80% of smokers start before the age of 18. Children in Ireland begin smoking at an earlier age than in any other country in Europe," the ICS commented.

It said that the difference in the children's reaction to the branded and non-branded cigarette packs was ‘dramatic' and this shows ‘the powerful impact which plain packs will have on protecting young people from tobacco industry tactics'.

"We support the urgent introduction of legislation for plain packaging. The tobacco industry must not be allowed delay or prevent this legislation in any way," it added.

The short film can be viewed here