Tobacco industry makes plain cigarette packs an Australian election issue

Tobacco control has emerged as a prominent issue in the Australian election thanks to a tobacco industry funded attack on the government’s plans for plain packaging of cigarettes.

Three tobacco companies are bankrolling a new organisation representing petrol stations, convenience stores, newsagents, and other retailers that has launched a media and advertising blitz against the plain packets.

The Labor government, which is facing a closely contested election, announced in April that it would introduce plain packaging for cigarettes by mid-2012. The move, which would be the first in the world, was one of a raft of tobacco control measures recommended by the National Preventative Health Taskforce (BMJ 2010;340:c2401, doi:10.1136/bmj.c2401).

However, the new Alliance of Australian Retailers, which is funded by British American Tobacco Australia, Philip Morris, and Imperial Tobacco Australia, argues that plain …