Plain Packaging Lowers Smoking Prevalence among Adolescents
Long-term impact of plain packaging of cigarettes with larger graphic health warnings: findings from cross-sectional surveys of Australian adolescents between 2011 and 2017. Tobacco Control. Click here
Victoria M White1,2, Nicola Guerin2, Tahlia Williams2, Melanie A Wakefield2; https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2019/08/20/tobaccocontrol-2019-054988.full
“Cross-sectional school-based surveys of 12 to 17 year olds in 2011 (n=4413), 2013 (n=4423), 2014 (n=4576) and 2017 (n=4266). Students rated the character of four popular cigarette brands, indicated their agreement regarding brand differences in smoking ease, quitting, addictiveness, harmfulness and pack attractiveness and positive/negative perceptions of pack image.
Results: Smoking prevalence declined from 2011 to 2017. Among students who had recently seen packs, cigarette packs were rated less positively and more negatively in 2017 than in 2011 (p<0.001) with ratings similar between 2013 and 2017. Positive character ratings for each brand reduced between 2011 and 2013 (ps<0.05) with further reductions between 2013 and 2017 (ps<0.05).”
Comment: “Adolescents are the most brand and promotion-oriented consumer group and the absence of brand information and promotion packaging affects their perceptions and use of product. Thus, youth prevalence of smoking decreased with plain packaging in place during this study period.”
