Neither health campaigners nor Big Tobacco seem to have any doubt that this will be effective in reducing smoking
From 1 December 2012, Australia will be the first country in which plain packaging is mandatory for all tobacco products. “Plain packaging” is almost a misnomer: packs will have to show government-mandated warnings and images. They can carry only information mandated by the government, will show product names only in understated template form, and will be in “nappy-brown” colouring, chosen (based on research) to be as unattractive as possible.
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Mike Daube is President of the Australian Council on Smoking and Health (ACOSH). Simon Chapman is an Honorary Director of Action on Smoking and Health (Australia).