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In Australia, brand logos on cigarette packets have been replaced by plain packaging and graphic images illustrating the dangers of smoking, since 2012.
Australia was the first country to adopt this strategy and 2017 data from the Australian Secondary Student’s Alcohol and Drug Survey showed that from 2011 to 2014 the number of students aged 12 to 17 who had never smoked , increased from 77.4% to 80.5%.
Additionally, smoking rates for people aged 14 and over also dropped from 15.1% to 12.8% between 2010-13, leading to 200,000 fewer smokers in this age group. .
Smoking rates increased by 21,000 between 2013 and 2016
However, further data released in the same year sadly indicated that smoking rates began to rise again in the following years. Data obtained from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicated that rates had increased by more than 21,000 to 2.4 million between 2013 and 2016.
“For the first time ever, there has been no statistically significant reduction in the smoking rate and an increase in the number of smokers in Australia,” said Colin Mendelsohn, a public health expert at the University of New South Wales, noting. that for the first time, smoking rates in Australia exceeded those in the United States. “This despite the simple packaging and the most expensive cigarette prices in the world.”
Simple packaging may have been counterproductive in reducing smoking rates
Once brand loyalty no longer made sense, most smokers decided to make choices based on price.
Unfortunately, recent research from James Cook University once again points to an increase in cigarette consumption. Interestingly, associate professor Riccardo Welters, head of economics and marketing at JCU, who participated in the study, believes that the simple packaging regulations may have actually been counterproductive.
“Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide and as part of an effort to mitigate its effects the Australian government has eliminated all forms of cigarette branding and promotion. They removed all logos and trademarks on the packages and required that all packaging be a uniform olive green color, “Welters said.
“We wanted to explore how simple packaging affects smoking spending, smoke quantity and smoking prevalence, so that we can get a better picture of the impacts of simple packaging,” he added.
Once the brands were removed, smokers made choices based on price
The researcher said that study participants reported that removing the branding somewhat reduced the quality of their smoking experience, making their favorite cigarettes seem lower-quality, worse-tasting, less satisfying, and more harmful.
To that end, most smokers decided they could also switch to the cheaper brands on the market, as once brand loyalty no longer made sense, they were instead making purchasing decisions based solely on price. “It appears that smokers have switched from more expensive cigarettes to cheaper cigarettes, reducing their overall tobacco spending. However, as smoking became less expensive, smokers consumed more cigarettes, ”Welters said.
“The prevalence of smoking in general has been decreasing for some time, but on average, current smokers inhale 6.49 cigarettes equivalent per week more than predicted trends. Each year, this equates to more than 330 additional cigarettes purchased and consumed by each smoker each year in excess of what we would expect, “said Dr. Welters.
Prices should be rationalized
In light of these findings, the professor concluded, policymakers should consider measures, such as taxes or minimum prices to rationalize prices. “These minimum taxes and prices would help level tobacco prices and remove the incentive to substitute. This would also eliminate the growing market for “discounted” tobacco and result in a reduction in intake “.
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