title: Plain packaging implementation: perceptions of risk and prestige of cigarette brands among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of plain packaging with larger graphic health warnings on perceptions of risk and prestige related to different cigarette brands among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Capital Territory. We hypothesised that the changes would decrease perceptions that 'some cigarette brands are more harmful than others', and that 'some brands are more prestigious than others', and this would be stronger among participants aged ≤35 years, and among smokers compared with non-smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed the survey prior to packaging changes, and were followed up 12 months later (n=98). Repeated measures ANCOVAs assessed perception changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following plain packaging implementation, there was a significant reduction in perceptions that 'some cigarette brands are more harmful than others'. There was no overall change in perceptions of prestige. However, there was a significant interaction for age. Analyses indicated a reduction in perceptions that 'some cigarette brands are more prestigious than others' among younger participants (p=0.05), but no change among older participants (p>0.20). There was no interaction for smoking status for perceptions of prestige, indicating smokers' and non-smokers' perceptions did not differ on this measure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings provide support for the packaging changes.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Inner City Health, St. Michael's Hospital, Ontario, Canada.|Centre for Research and Action in Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
authors.forename: Raglan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maddox
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Durkin
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory.
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lovett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D010465:Perception; D019064:Product Packaging; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D062789:Tobacco Products; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aboriginal; health warnings; packaging; product labelling; smoking; tobacco policy