AbstractThe global Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) requiresnations to ban all tobacco advertising and promotion. In the face of these restrictions,tobacco packaging has become the key promotional vehicle for thetobacco industry to interest smokers and potential smokers in tobacco products.This paper reviews available research into the likely impact of mandatoryplain packaging and internal tobacco industry statements about the importanceof packs as promotional vehicles. It critiques legal objections raised by the industryabout plain packaging violating laws and international trade agreements,showing these to be without foundation. Plain packaging of all tobacco productswould remove a key remaining means for the industry to promote its productsto billions of the world’s smokers and future smokers. Governments have appropriatedlarge surface areas of tobacco packs for health warnings without legalimpediment or need to compensate tobacco companies. Requiring plain packagingis consistent with the intention to ban all tobacco promotions. There isno impediment in the FCTC to interpreting tobacco advertising and promotionto include tobacco packs.
Download PDF : Plain packaging Freeman et al