Each year smoking kills 15,000 people in Australia. The economic and social costs of smoking is estimated at $31.5 billion a year. Labor introduced world-leading plain packaging reform when in government. Even the Conservative government in the United Kingdom is now introducing plain packaging laws.
Reports today on cigarette sales are based on industry data. The most recent ABS data shows smoking rates are continuing to decline.
Only the tobacco industry thinks plain packaging is a bad thing – that’s because they know they’ll be selling fewer cigarettes to fewer people.
It is incumbent on the government to express its unqualified support for plain packaging.