In a two-part series made exclusively by Watch Me Think, consumers in Australia and the UK share their views on what tobacco packaging, and the arrival of ‘plain’ packaging, means to them.
The issue has caused controversy not only with packaging suppliers but also with tobacco manufacturers, who argue that their intellectual property rights are being infringed by the ban on branding, and also that the end of branded cigarette packaging will make it easier for counterfeiters to infiltrate the market.
Yet public health campaigners and anti-smoking groups believe that the end of branded tobacco packs will de-glamourise smoking and will help to stop young people taking up the habit.
This is what the new packaging looks like. It is an olive-green colour and features sometimes shocking images of the potential effects of smoking. The name of the manufacturer is written in small letters at the bottom of the pack.
