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.
The full article is accessible to AMA
members and paid subscribers.
Login to MJA or subscribe now.
- 1. National Preventative Health Taskforce. Australia: The healthiest country by 2020. National Preventative Health Strategy – the roadmap for action. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2009.
- 2. British American Tobacco Australia. BATA and the Australian regulatory landscape: response to the Preventative Health Taskforce Technical Report 2, “Tobacco control in Australia: making smoking history”. 2009. http://www.preventativehealth.org.au/internet/preventativehealth/publishing.nsf/Content/submissions-1lp (accessed Oct 2012).
- 3. Philip Morris Limited. Philip Morris Limited’s submission to the National Preventative Health Taskforce consultation: Australia: The healthiest country by 2020. 2009. http://www.preventativehealth.org.au/internet/preventativehealth/publishing.nsf/Content/submissions-1lp (accessed Oct 2012).
- 4. Corderoy A. Fight may cost Big Tobacco a packet. Sydney Morning Herald 2012; 24 Mar. http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/fight-may-cost-big-tobacco-a-packet-20120323-1vp5d.html (accessed Nov 2012).
- 5. Chapman S, Scollo M, Jones A, et al. Plain tobacco packaging in Australia: a time-line of significant events and news media coverage, 16th update. Section 5: Time-line of selected significant news and commentary on plain packs post the April 2009 announcement; entries for 4 Aug 2010, 10 Sep 2010. Sydney: University of Sydney, 2012. http://tobacco.health.usyd.edu.au/assets/pdfs/publications/Time-line.doc (accessed Oct 2012).
- 6. Proctor R. Golden holocaust: origins of the cigarette catastrophe and the case for abolition. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011.
- 7. World Lung Foundation. New tobacco atlas estimates US $35 billion tobacco industry profits and almost 6 million annual deaths. 2012. http://www.worldlungfoundation.org/ht/display/ReleaseDetails/i/20439/pid/6858 (accessed Nov 2012).
- 8. Daube M. Too many dying, long after the smoke alarm. The West Australian 2012; 6 Mar: 18.
- 9. Thomas DP. Changes in smoking intensity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, 1994–2008. Med J Aust 2012; 197: 503-506.
- 10. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Quit now. Why quit. 2012. http://www.quitnow.gov.au/internet/quitnow/publishing.nsf/Content/why-quit-lp (accessed Nov 2012).
- 11. Cancer Institute NSW. 2011 annual report. Providing the links: cancer prevention to a cure. Reducing smoking prevalence. 2011. http://www.cancerinstitute.org.au/annual-report-2011/reducing-the-incidence-of-cancer/reducing-smoking-prevalence (accessed Nov 2012).
- 12. Hagan K. Budget cuts to hit Quit campaign. The Age 2012; 11 May. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/budget-cuts-to-hit-quit-campaign-20120510-1yfol.html (accessed Nov 2012).
- 13. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Launch of the Preventative Health Taskforce Report. 2009. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/tr-yr09-nr-nrsp010909.htm?OpenDocument&yr=2009&mth=09 (accessed Oct 2012).
Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.
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).