Centre for Tobacco Control Research, Institute for Social Marketing, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland.
Eur J Public Health. 2012 Apr;22(2):251-3. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckr038. Epub 2011 Mar 26.
Plain (unbranded) packaging for cigarettes is at the top of the tobacco control agenda in both Australia and Europe. The evidence suggests that it will benefit public health by decreasing the appeal of tobacco products and increasing the power of the health warning. The tobacco industry instead argues that plain packaging would make it easier to counterfeit cigarettes, which would both confuse consumers and reduce price; thereby increasing consumption. Using focus group research we examined young adult smokers (N = 54) perceptions of, and ability to recognize, illicit tobacco and the possible impact of plain packaging on illicit tobacco purchasing behaviour. We found that the pack has no impact on the decision to buy illicit tobacco. Smokers were easily able to identify counterfeit cigarettes, not least by the pack, and buy it knowingly and in the full expectation that it will be inferior in quality. Illicit tobacco purchase, including that for counterfeit tobacco, was instead driven by availability and price. Given the extremely low manufacturing cost, per pack, of certain types of illicit cigarettes, it is difficult to envisage how plain packaging would alter the price of illicit tobacco in any meaningful way. The findings therefore suggest that a move to plain packaging would have no impact on young adult smokers' purchase behaviour.
在澳大利亚和欧洲，香烟的普通（无品牌）包装都被置于烟草控制议程的首位。有证据表明，普通包装将通过降低烟草制品的吸引力和增强健康警语的力度，从而有益于公众健康。相反，烟草业则认为，普通包装会使香烟更容易被伪造，这不仅会使消费者感到困惑，还会降低价格，从而增加消费。我们使用焦点小组研究，调查了年轻成年吸烟者（N=54）对非法烟草的看法和识别能力，以及普通包装对非法烟草购买行为的可能影响。我们发现，包装对购买非法烟草的决定没有影响。吸烟者很容易识别出假冒香烟，尤其是通过包装，他们明知故犯地购买，并预计其质量会较差。非法烟草的购买，包括假冒烟草的购买，主要是由供应和价格驱动的。鉴于某些类型的非法香烟的每包极低的制造成本，很难想象普通包装会以任何有意义的方式改变非法烟草的价格。因此，调查结果表明，向普通包装的转变不会影响年轻成年吸烟者的购买行为。
