LONDON, March 24 Reuters Deliveries of tobacco to retailers in Australia rose slightly last year for the first time in at least five years, even after the introduction of plain packaging aimed at deterring smokers, according to industry sales figures to be released on Monday.Australia, which in December 2012 became the first country to ban branded cigarette packs, is being closely watched for signs of success as other nations including Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom explore similar measures.Britain last year appointed a respected paediatrician to examine whether plain packaging would reduce the health costs of smoking. The doctor's report is expected this week.
In 2013, the first full year of plain packaging, tobacco panies sold the equivalent of 21.074 billion cigarettes in Australia, according to industry data provided by Marlboro maker Philip Morris International.That marks a 0.3 percent increase from 2012, and reverses four straight years of declines.The exact reason for the upturn was unclear. Some tobacco panies argue that higher shipments of loose tobacco and a decline in cigarettes suggest smokers may be trading down to cheaper products and can therefore afford to buy more of them."When you moditise a product, people go after the price," said Eoin Dardis, director of corporate affairs for Philip Morris in Britain.
"If people are buying cheaper stuff, maybe they're smoking more of it, I don't know ... It's definitely a point of interest and that's something that absolutely needs to be explored because that's the counter of what this policy was seeking to achieve."Australia's law requires standardised packaging on all tobacco products, forcing panies to replace their logos and branding with graphic images of smoking-related diseases on a drab background.The law is aimed at reducing the number of children who may be drawn to smoking by attractive, brightly coloured packs.There has been evidence suggesting that the plain packaging is having some effect on smokers, including a study published in the British Medical Journal in July.