Many countries control minimum cigarette pack size to prevent the sale of cheaper, small packs, which particularly appeal to younger people. However, very few countries restrict the range or maximum size allowed, and increasingly large packs are appearing in many countries. Increasing cigarette pack size is a concern as it may lead to increased smoking. Our paper examined existing research to determine whether this idea is supported.
We show that cigarette pack size is linked to the amount people smoke: people smoke more cigarettes per day from larger packs and fewer from smaller packs. Capping pack sizes may have health benefits because smoking fewer cigarettes is linked to greater chances of quitting. However, understanding these relationships is not straightforward because price, smokers’ motivation to change, and access to additional support (e.g., medication) are important factors in pack size choice and smoking behavior. While further evidence is needed to understand whether the relationships between pack size, smoking and quitting remain when these factors are removed, policy makers need to consider the potential impact of larger pack sizes now as the tobacco industry is already exploiting the lack of legal restrictions.
Blackwell, A. K. M., Lee, I., Scollo, M., Wakefield, M., Munafò, M. R., and Marteau, T. M. ( 2019) Should cigarette pack sizes be capped?. Addiction, https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14770.
