What the Government Demanded As Proof for Plain Packaging Efficacy: An Analysis the Public Health Lobby Did Not Perform
9 Pages Posted: 3 May 2017
Date Written: May 3, 2017
Abstract
In this paper we investigate the independent, and combined, influences of plain packaging and health warnings on smokers’ quit attempts after the introduction of Australia’s plain packaging policy. The Cancer Council Victoria had been contracted by the Commonwealth government to perform such an analysis. We employ the data collected by the Cancer Council Victoria for that purpose (and paid for by the Australian Commonwealth government). Our results suggest that the independent, and combined, influences of plain packaging and health warnings had no statistically significant impact on smokers’ quit attempts as a result of the introduction of the plain packaging policy.
Keywords: Tobacco control, Plain Packaging
JEL Classification: I18
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation