The Sydney Morning Herald published a graph on Sunday as ultimate proof that plain packaging has worked, here's their take on it.
Plain packaging pushes cigarette sales down
Added to the Health Department's website quietly last week amid debate over the effectiveness of plain packaging, the Treasury data shows 3.4 per cent fewer cigarettes were sold last year than 2012.Well, actually, no they didn't unless the SMH is redefining the term "last year" or don't know yet that we're in 2014. Because the decline, as their graph clearly shows, is entirely in this year.
Seriously, it's interactive, so go play with it yourself. But if you're short on time or all finger and thumbs, here's what it looks like.
And, as the SMH kindly tells us, there was a big hike in duty a year after plain packaging which - unless you're a dunce - would quite obviously explain the big downturn immediately following it.
Not being Australian, on this evidence I can only assume the Sydney Morning Herald is up there in trustworthiness alongside such august organs as The Sunday Sport and The National Enquirer.
Still, it satisfied the usual muppets anyway.
Big Tobacco claims up in smoke, new Australian Treasury data shows standard packs pushed cig sales down 3.4% last yr http://t.co/lFIHD6bX4Z
— Cancer Research UK (@CR_UK) June 23, 2014
Plain packaging pushes cigarette sales down http://t.co/wNqoAU15kp #plainpacks
— ASH New Zealand (@ASH_New_Zealand) June 23, 2014
Population adjusted decline in cig sales 5% in year after #plainpacks GOAL!! http://t.co/QGDz8d8gQp
— Simon Chapman (@SimonChapman6) June 22, 2014
