March 2015

The introduction of plain packaging on tobacco products is working, according to the first comprehensive evaluation of the legislation.

Published in the British Medical Journal, a special supplement of 14 separate studies showed that the legislation had gone beyond expectations and delivered on its aims.

Key findings of the report include:

• Plain packaging has reduced the appeal of packs, particularly with adolescents and young adults.
• The legislation has not increased the consumption of illicit “cheap white” cigarettes.
• Plain packaging has encouraged smokers to think about and attempt to quit.

Cancer Council Victoria's Professor Melanie Wakefield, whose team led the evaluation, said: “These results should give confidence to countries considering plain packaging, that plain packs not only reduce appeal of tobacco products and increase the effectiveness of health warnings, but also diminish the tobacco industry's ability to use packs to mislead consumers about the harms of smoking."

Find out more on The Plain Facts website.