How the tobacco industry is gaming Australian health regulations

Australia's tough tobacco regulations are acting as a catalyst for the industry to develop sophisticated marketing practices. These companies are gaming the system by anticipating regulatory impact and then using unregulated marketing elements to overcome it. Australia has been a guiding light for countries looking to improve public health through the effective regulation of tobacco, which remains the world's biggest cause of preventable illness and death, and still kills around 15,000 Australians annually. December 2012 saw the implementation of Australia's innovative plain packaging legislation, this was followed by four 12.5% annual tobacco tax excise increases. As a result the number of Australian smokers has fallen to a record low. However the tobacco industry has used several strategies, including price reduction, brand differentiation and promoting the idea of healthier cigarettes, to undermine Australia's new regulatory environment.