AMA submission into Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011
This AMA submission to the House of Representatives Inquiry into the Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011 supports legislation to remove all attractive, decorative and brand-recognisable packaging on tobacco products.
There is evidence that attractive, decorative and brand-recognisable tobacco packaging is intended by the tobacco industry to sustain smoking and encourage its uptake, and that it does have an effect on these behaviours. The AMA argues in this submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing that package design is a form of tobacco advertising, which should be prohibited. The introduction of plain packaging for tobacco products will remove the reinforcement that packet design and brand imaging have on tobacco consumption. There is also evidence that plain packaging will have a deterrent effect on smoking. In this submission, the AMA urges the Committee to recommend that the House of Representatives pass the Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011.
