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