Forcing shops to sell cigarettes in plain packaging does not in itself cut smoking levels but boosts sales of smuggled packets, a Government review has been told.
According to a report commissioned by the tobacco industry, initial evidence from Australia – the first country in the world to introduce plain packaging laws – suggests that overall smoking levels are unchanged.
But it estimates that the country has missed out on the equivalent of £530 million of tax as smokers switch to cheaper, illegal varieties – often in packaging which resembles traditional boxes.
The report has been submitted to a government review investigating evidence for introducing a similar policy in the UK. » | John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor | Monday, February 03, 2014
