Plain packaging: in Australia, smokers approve

What exactly is plain packaging? One size, one colour, no brand logo and a typeface that stays the same on every pack.

The brand name does remain, discreetly, and it is mainly the deterrent messages that take up most of the space on the pack. The main aim of plain packaging is to reduce the number of smokers, and in particular younger ones, who might be more reluctant to buy a completely plain pack.

Plain packaging brings the number of smokers down

Introduced in 2012 in Australia, plain packaging was much discussed and a good many smokers were sceptical about the measure. Two years on, and after a study carried out by Australian researchers, its results appear satisfactory. The researchers observed a fall in the number of smokers, and the number of smokers who approve of the measure has also risen considerably. According to the study, plain packaging combined with a rise in cigarette pack prices in Australia brought the share of daily Australian smokers aged over 14 down from 15.1% in 2010 to 12.8% in 2013. It should be noted, however, that while the number of smokers fell, cigarette sales did not: they remained stable and even tended to rise slightly.

These results could do much to encourage European countries in their decision to introduce plain packaging, notably in France, where it is expected in 2016. The measure, unveiled in the health minister’s anti-tobacco plan, does not please cigarette manufacturers: the tobacco lobbies are threatening legal action, arguing that it infringes trademark rights.