According to some finding of research papers published in British Medical Journal Tobacco Control, introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes in Australia has significantly reduced the appeal of smoking among adolescents and also prompted to think about quitting.

Australia is the first country to introduce plain packaging through its 2011 Tobacco Plain Packaging Act.

These papers had been presented at the World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Abu Dhabi by the Cancer Council Victoria.

The research was aimed at finding out the effect of the implementation of the law on the adolescents and smokers.

The research claimed that children aged between 12 and 17 found standardized packaging less appealing, there is no evidence in increase in the consumption of illicit cigarettes and smokers were more concerned about the health warnings.

“These papers provide the first comprehensive set of results of real world plain packaging and they are pointing very strongly to success in achieving the legislation’s aims” said Cancer Council Victoria’s Melanie Wakefield, whose team led the evaluation.

“These results should give confidence to countries considering plain packaging that plain packs not only reduce appeal of tobacco products and increase the effectiveness of health warnings but also diminish the tobacco industry’s ability to use packs to mislead consumers about the harms of smoking.”

Following the positive results of the law in Australia, Ireland also introduced a similar law recently.