To the Editor: Young and colleagues report that the introduction of plain tobacco packaging led to a sharp increase in calls to the New South Wales Quitline service, reaching a 78% relative increase after 4 weeks, with a sustained, projected impact over 43 weeks.1 Their study illustrates, first, the immediate benefits that governments can expect when legislating for larger graphic warnings and a standardised display of tobacco brand information in plain packaging.
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- 1. Young J, Stacey I, Dobbins T, et al. The association between tobacco plain packaging and Quitline calls: a population-based, interrupted time series analysis. Med J Aust 2014; 200: 29-32. <MJA full text>
- 2. Australian Government Preventative Health Taskforce. Australia: the healthiest country by 2020. Discussion paper. Canberra: Preventative Health Taskforce, 2008: 92. http://www. preventative health.org.au/internet/preventativehealth/publishing.nsf/Content/discussion-healthiest (accessed Mar 2014).
- 3. McIntyre S, spokesperson for British American Tobacco Australasia. Plain packaging will cost taxpayers: BATA. ABC News, uploaded 7 April 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEXH7mqEEWE (accessed Jan 2014).
- 4. JT International SA v Commonwealth of Australia (2012) HCA 43 (5 October 2012).
No relevant disclosures.