The Power of Packaging: Cigarettes’ New Look Is Less Appealing To Smokers

Initial studies in Australia suggest that plain packaging deters cigarette smokers, making tobacco less appealing to smokers who believe their cigarettes have deteriorated in quality and are less satisfying. Recently published in the British Medical Journal and funded by the Cancer Council Victoria, the research took place in the first three months of Australia’s new plain packaging standards. As the only country to ever implement such marketing regulations, in 2012, Australia introduced drab olive green cigarette packs accompanied by graphic health warnings covering over half of the box. Researchers decided to investigate whether tobacco’s makeover impacted its appeal, emphasized its harm, and encouraged smokers to [...]