Impact  of  Plain  Packaging  in  Australia:  Lessons  for  India Dr.  Monika  Arora  Director:  Health  Promo=on  &  Tobacco  Control  &  Adjunct  Associate  Professor  Public  Health  Founda=on  of  India  monika.arora@phfi.org  

Ñ  The   Taskforce   aims   to   translate   research   and   policy   advocacy  

strategies   from   Australia   to   strengthen   tobacco   control   in   India   –  

including  a  feasibility  assessment  for  Plain  Packaging  (PP)  in  India.  

Ñ  Posi?ve  developments:  

Ó  ‘The  Case  for  Plain  Packaging  Made  Plain’  –  released  by  the  Ministry  of  Health  &  

Family  Welfare,  Government  of  India  

Ó  Private  Members’  Bill  on  PP  introduced  in  the  Parliament  

Ó  Opera?onal   research:   percep?ons   and   public   support   for   PP   (opinion   poll   and  

stakeholder   analysis).   Strong   support   (68.50%   respondents   supported   PP;   92%  

reported  PP  being  relevant  to  the  Indian  context)

Australia  India  Taskforce  on  Tobacco  Control  

Impact  of  Plain  Packaging  in  Australia •  People  smoking  from  plain  packs  perceived  their  cigareWes  to  be  lower  in  quality,  less  

sa?sfying  than  a  year  ago  ,were  more  likely  to  have  thought  about  quiZng  at  least  once  a  

day  in  the  past  week    and  priori?zed  quiZng  in  their  lives.1  

•  Smoking  in  outdoor  areas  of  cafés,  restaurants  and  bars  and  personal  pack  display  (packs  

clearly  visible  on  tables)  has  declined.2  

•  Decrease  in  the  smoking  rate  following  the  introduc?on  of  the  plain  packaging  laws.  The  

results  from  the  Australian  Bureau  of  Sta?s?cs  (ABS)  demonstrate  a  drop  from  15.1  per  

cent  in  2010  to  12.8  per  cent  in  2013.3  

•  The  survey  also  found  that  the  age  that  adolescents  had  smoked  their  first  cigareWe  had  

slightly  risen  from  15.4  in  2010  to  15.9  in  20133  

Ñ  Literature   review:   To   review   research   evidence   on   impact   of   PP   in   Australia   and  examine   how   these   findings   apply   to   current   Indian   tobacco   control   policy  environment.  Ó  Contextual   analysis   of   research   evidence   available   from   mul?ple   sources   to  

understand  feasibility  of  transla?ng  this  evidence  into  Indian  context.    Ñ  Research   priori2es:   percep?on   studies,   pack   design,   messaging   and   effec?veness  

studies,  tes?ng  new  pictorial  warnings  on  plain  packs  vs.  conven?onal  packs.  Ñ  Legal  and  legisla2ve  research:  exis?ng  laws,  trade  agreements  etc.,  which  will  need  

to  be  considered  while  proposing  PP  –  Indian  tobacco  control   law,  Trademarks  Act  etc.  

Ñ  Outcome:  colla?ng  this  body  of  work   into  a  White  Paper  for  submission  to  various  relevant  Ministries  in  Government  of  India,  to  consider  for  introduc?on  of  PP.  

Transla=onal  Research  –  developing  a  White  Paper  

1.  Wakefield,  M.  A.,  Hayes,  L.,  Durkin,  S.,  &  Borland,  R.  (2013).  Introduction  effects  of  the  Australian  plain  packaging  policy  on  adult  smokers:  a  cross-­‐‑sectional  study.  BMJ  open,  3(7).

2.  Zacher,  M.,  Bayly,  M.,  Brennan,  E.,  Dono,  J.,  Miller,  C.,  Durkin,  S.,  ...  &  Wakefield,  M.  (2014).  Personal  tobacco  pack  display  before  and  after  the  introduction  of  plain  packaging  with  larger  pictorial  health  warnings  in  Australia:  an  observational  study  of  outdoor  café  strips.  Addiction,  109(4),  653-­‐‑662.

3.  Department  of  Health  2014,  Tobacco  key  facts  and  figures,  Australian  Government,  viewed  4  August  2014,    h\p://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/tobacco-­‐‑kff

References