Smoking and the ever elusive miracle cure to get folks to quit buying cigarettes lingers on.
The Canadian Cancer Society now says data from Australian studies show that plain packaging for tobacco products is the next logical step to curb tobacco marketing and save lives. The study goes on to say that by eliminating identifying aspects of tobacco companies on packs like colours, logos and designs and instead using simple brown packaging negatively affects tobacco sales.
Australia who has implemented this method since 2012 has seen a dramatic decrease in cigarette sales. Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and France are all in the process of requiring plain packaging.
Canada has had health warnings on packages since 2001 which will continue, but the current branding that is still on packaging is considered a mini billboard that may still entice smokers to smoke and purchase cigarettes.
When will this roll forward you ask? Society senior policy analyst for the Canadian Cancer Society Rob Cunningham says that there has been strenuous opposition to the new packaging from other countries and Canada’s big players appear poised to follow suit.
The good news? Health Canada said recent numbers from the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey suggest smoking levels have reached a historic low among youth, with only seven per cent of Canadians aged 15 to 17 identifying as smokers.
Perhaps there is a day ahead when smoking simply will be cool no more. What do you think? Is changing up the packaging the answer?
SOURCE: Canadian Cancer Society, Health Canada
