The challenge
Branded cigarette packs worked as advertising, especially to young people.
The case
In December 2012, Australia became the first country to require plain packaging for tobacco: a standard dark olive-brown pack, large graphic warnings, and brand names in a uniform small font. The tobacco industry fought it in Australian courts and at the World Trade Organization, and lost. A government review estimated that plain packaging accounted for a measurable share of the continued fall in smoking in its first few years. By 2024 the Canadian Cancer Society counted 25 countries and territories that had adopted plain packaging.
Why it worked
Removing the pack's power as advertising reduced the appeal of smoking, especially to young people. Winning the legal challenges mattered as much as the policy, because it cleared the way for others.
Sources
- Australian Government Department of Health (2016). Post-Implementation Review: Tobacco Plain Packaging.
- Canadian Cancer Society (2024). Tobacco plain packaging progress continues worldwide with 42 countries and territories moving forward with regulations.
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