Plain packaging: tobacco companies target Ireland

Ireland following Australia’s lead, but tobacco companies don’t like it at all…who would’ve thought. ‪#‎PlainPackaging‬ ‪#‎BigTobacco‬ ‪#‎Health‬ ‪#‎AddictiveSubstances‬ ‪#‎CorporateResponsibility‬ ‪#‎PoliticalAccountability‬
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/21/us-ireland-tobacco-idUSKBN0LP0SO20150221

Cigarettes, plain packaging and legal challenges

Australia introduced plain packaging laws in December, 2012 (1), statistics show a decrease in cigarette sales and tobacco companies are still pursuing legal challenges against plain packaging laws.

Federal Health negotiated with big tobacco companies about a voluntary agreement to list the contents of cigarettes. The ingredients (2) lists an interesting mix of chemicals but doesn’t provide explanitary notes about them.

If the proposed ban (3) is enacted would other states follow? and what lengths would tobacco companies go to challenge it?

(1) http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/tobacco-plain
(2) http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-drugs-tobacco-ingredients.htm
(3) http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/push-grows-to-ban-cigarettes-for-everyone-born-after-2000/story-fnj4f7k1-1227074507679

Daily smoking rates dropped from 15.8% in 12.8%

“The daily smoking rate dropped significantly between 2010 and 2013, from 15.1% to 12.8% among people 14 or older.”
http://www.aihw.gov.au/media-release-detail/?id=60129548108

Could this be to do with our plain packaging laws which the big tobacco companies are fighting hard against?

PS: “highlights” from the survey are here:
http://www.aihw.gov.au/alcohol-and-other-drugs/ndshs/

Plain packaging: Multinational tobacco companies’ legal challenge

Plain packaging:
Big tobacco companies are apparently taking Australia to court for our plain packaging laws(1), so, are the laws working?

Depending which media outlet you read and what their bias is you’re told that plain packaging for cigarettes is(2) or isn’t(3) working.

Since the media tend not to provide their references here is a reliable reference straight from the horses mouth – statistics from the Health Department, last updated: 19 June 2014
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/tobacco-kff

Tobacco clearances fell by 3.4% in 2013 relative to 2012 when tobacco plain packaging was introduced.

(1) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-27/new-wto-challenge-to-australia-plain-packaging-tobacco-law/5348078
(2) http://www.australiannews.net/index.php/sid/223143377/scat/88f7d0d02bea1b33
(3) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/10718244/Australia-tobacco-sales-increase-despite-plain-packaging.html