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posted by mrpg on Monday February 27 2017, @07:12AM   Printer-friendly
from the smoking-is-bad dept.

The proof is in the packaging. Making all cigarette packets look the same reduces the positive feelings smokers associate with specific brands and encourages quitting, Australian research shows.

The findings come ahead of the UK and Ireland introducing plain tobacco packaging in May.

Australia was the first nation to introduce such legislation in December 2012. Since then, all cigarettes have been sold in plain olive packets with standard fonts and graphic health warnings.

The primary goal was to make cigarettes less appealing so that people would not take up smoking in the first place. But an added bonus has been the number of existing smokers who have ditched the habit.

Between 2010 and 2013, the proportion of daily smokers in Australia dropped from 15.1 to 12.8 per cent – a record decline. The number of calls to quit helplines also increased by 78 per cent after the policy change.

Hugh Webb, et al. Smoke signals: The decline of brand identity predicts reduced smoking behaviour following the introduction of plain packaging, Addictive Behaviors Reports, DOI: 10.1016/j.abrep.2017.02.003


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  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 27 2017, @07:49AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 27 2017, @07:49AM (#472152)

    Granted, the big tobacco companies are mercenary bastards like any other corporation.

    Smokers incur health risks, as do drinkers, drug users, the promiscuous, over-eaters, and practically any other pleasurable vices you carer to mention.

    That said, smokers who are considerate of others and understand the risks have two fingers in the air to the nanny state.

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  • (Score: 2, Funny) by nitehawk214 on Monday February 27 2017, @06:53PM

    by nitehawk214 (1304) on Monday February 27 2017, @06:53PM (#472442)

    Then why do you care about the branding on your cigarettes?

    Perhaps it is because now you won't look quite so cool with your plain white packaging.

    Protip: Smokers are not the cool crowd anymore and haven't been for a long time. They are now the whiny bitchy crowd like you.

    --
    "Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh