The packaging of tobacco is a major part of its advertising - as the tobacco industry admits in its own documents. That's why ASH and other organisations support the call for mandated plain and standardised packaging of tobacco products.

See our  Tobacco Facts: Plain Packaging of Tobacco 

NEWS:    

Health groups hit back with ad campaign and ACCC complaint 
18/8/10:  Health groups have asked "Who's pulling the strings?" in an ad campaign countering the tobacco industry's misleading anti-plain packaging ads.  See  health groups' counter-ad    The Public Health Association of Australia, Cancer Council Australia, Heart Foundation, VicHealth, ASH and the Australian Council on Smoking and Health have also written to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission seeking a ban on the "misleading and deceptive" tobacco-funded ads. The letter points out that the "Alliance of Australian Retailers" was hastily formed with a sole shareholder and a sham address; and that the campaign does not, as claimed, come from a broad base of small retailers.  See  Melbourne Age 14/8/10  

The anti-plain packs campaign debacle
The story so far:  On August 4, 2010, it was revealed that the three major tobacco companies (BAT, Philip Morris and Imperial) had put $5m into a misleading  election-period mass media ad campaign against plain packaging, fronted by the hastily-formed "Australian Alliance of Retailers" and allegedly associated with former Liberal Party figures. 

ASH (release 4/8/10)  and other health groups, and six Australians of the Year (statement 11/8/10)  condemned the campaign and called on all political parties to honour the government commitment to mandate plain packs by July 2012. The ALP and Greens reaffirmed their support; the Liberal/National parties have agreed only to "consider" it. 

Meanwhile major retailers including Coles dissociated themselves from the ad campaign (see  Daily Telegraph 11/8/10); and Woolworths followed, repudiating the campaign and accusing retail groups of "deceptive behaviour" (see  Daily Telegraph 13/8/10).

Think tank arguments against plain packs "demolished" in debate
3/6/10:  Right wing think tank the Institute of Public Affairs has had its arguments against plain packaging of tobacco "demolished" in a debate at Melbourne University - described as "academic blood sport" by Simon Chapman, Professor of Public Health at Sydney University and ASH Australia director, in a  www.crikey.com.au  article (3/6/10). 
    Tim Wilson of the IPA was upset with Media Watch’s  probing of his think tank's apparent parroting of tobacco industry arguments. Wilson's "rough calculations" had suggested legal action could cost the government "up to $3 billion a year".
    On the 7.30 Report, Wilson elaborated, claiming constitutional, trademark and international treaty barriers.
    In the Melbourne Uni debate, Professor Mark Davison, Professor of Law at Monash and a trademark expert, rubbished Wilson's claims, concluding emphatically: "They haven't got a case."  Read Prof Davison's earlier comments in the Melbourne Age 4/5/10  

Australia first country to mandate plain packs 
29/4/10: The Australian government has announced plain packaging of tobacco products will be mandatory by January 2012 (since amended to July 2012) - the first country in the world to set a deadline. ASH Australia and other health groups have hailed the decision as a major step in the fight against tobacco.  See  government announcement  and  ASH media release 29/4/10   See  how the plain packs should look

Is the tobacco industry trying to get smokers used to 
plain packaging?  
See this  slim sleeve  - spool down to pictures under "Tobacco's latest slick marketing ploys"

EVIDENCE AND RESOURCES

• ASH  Tobacco Facts: Plain Packaging of Tobacco  - 2 page pdf factsheet summary, with illustrations (July 2010)
  
  

• The case for plain packaging of tobacco 
  2007 Sydney University  report with illustrations
  
  

• History of Plain Packaging: timeline - great dot-point history resource from Physicians for a Smoke-free Canada (2009) 
  
  

• Preventative Health Taskforce recommends plain packaging
  2009 Preventative Health Taskforce recommendation that Australia move towards mandatory plain packaging of tobacco and larger health warnings.  See Action Area 5, pp. 181-5 of  the report's  tobacco chapter 

  The tobacco industry is complaining that this will interfere with their branding rights - but see study  showing this is an attempt to bluff governments. See  reponse 5/3/10  by ASH Board member Prof Simon Chapman 
  
  See some pics of the industry's latest creative uses of packets as advertising - limited editions, discount offers, health warning breaches and more.  

• Tobacco packaging and labelling
  2009: The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease has produced a comprehensive guide  including health warnings, misleading packaging, plain packaging, evidence, legislation and implementation.  

• Pack colours and design mislead smokers
  2009: Colours of cigarette packs can mislead smokers into thinking certain brands are less harmful, says this study. Full study pdf in  Journal of Public Health      See  Sydney Morning Herald report 5/8/09

• Youth call for plain packaging 
  2009: Youth groups have called for plain packaging of tobacco products, in a statement on National Youth Tobacco Free Day.   See  Cancer Council ACT media release 27/3/09

THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY RESPONSE

• Tobacco's "endless challenge"
  August 2010: See the tobacco industry's latest arguments against plain packaging on pp. 24-25 of August edition of  Convenience and Impulse Retailing  - also includes a feature on AACS (convenience umbrella group) chief Sheryle Moon, before the AACS was pulled out of the plain packs campaign by retailers embarrassed by the tobacco-funded campaign.

• Tobacco-funded $5m election campaign against plain packs
  August 2010: The tobacco industry paid $5m to a retailers' front group to run a media ad campaign  in the leadup to Federal elections. The campaign was condemned by health groups including  ASH  and by an  Open Letter (11/8/10)  from six Australians of the Year. Major retailers Coles and Woolworths repudiated the ads.

• Tobacco industry tries to bluff Rudd out of plain pack plan
  March 2010: Tobacco companies used "very silly" myths to try to block a proposal for plain packaging of tobacco recommended by the National Preventative Health Taskforce.  See  Crikey comment 5/3/10  by ASH Board member Prof Simon Chapman 

• Philip Morris plain packaging website  shows they see it as a major threat. They claim there's no evidence for its effectiveness, that it violates trademark rights (see above response from Prof Davison of Monash Uni to these arguments) and will boost illicit trade.  

• Philip Morris scare campaign against plain packaging
  2009: Tobacco giant Philip Morris sent a glossy scare campaign to Australian tobacco retailers against the plain packaging proposal - claiming it would be "very difficult" for retailers, "increase security risk", "inconvenience customers" and "limit consumer choice". See pics of the the Philip Morris campaign 

• Tobacco industry's phoney campaign against plain packaging in Australia 
  2009: Study presented at world conference shows how tobacco industry worked to mislead Australian and Canadian governments with "phoney" arguments against generic (plain) tobacco packaging.   See  the study 
  

Tips for taking tobacco action - tell governments and MPs what you think of plain packaging.  

Senate inquiry webpage including submission info - submissions close April 30, 2010

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Page last updated 18/8/10