Australia was the first country to introduce legislation that saw the entire packaging of cigarettes take on a plain form with a dull brown colour and health warning plastered around 80% of the packet. The numbers indicate that there has been a significant reduction in the number of adult smokers in Australia, as of 2012 only 15% of Australia's population smoked compared to 25% in 2001.



However, Simon Clark, of the pro-smoking lobbying group Forest, said that the change in Australia had no discernible impact on the smoking trends in the country.

He went on to state that there was a strong public opposition towards such a move in the United Kingdom.



While it is expected for a pro-smoking lobbying group to criticise the plan, they are not the only ones highlighting disappointed by it. In fact, the Institute of Economic Affairs viewed the initiative in a negative light no because of the health question, but because it takes away a company's right to design and market their product to the consumer.



The plan would see the legislation come into effect in 2016, leaving politicians and lobbyists plenty of time to debate the issue.