New Zealand adolescents’ responses to plain packaging and new pictorial warning labels: Repeat cross-sectional survey analysis

Abstract

Objective: This article aims to examine the impact on adolescents of New Zealand’s 2018 legislation introducing plain (standardised) packaging and enhanced pictorial warning labels (PWLs). Methods: Data came from Year 10 (14–15 years old) students in the 2016 (2,884 participants) and 2018 (2,689 participants) Youth Insights Surveys conducted 2 years before and immediately after legislation implementation. We used binary and ordinal logistic regression to investigate changes in brand awareness and preference, brand and pack appeal, and PWL salience and impact. Results: The proportion of all participants, and ever, ex/experimental and current smokers who could name one or five tobacco product brands decreased in 2018. There was a modest and nonstatistically significant decrease in the proportion of current smokers citing brand name and image, and a larger decrease in the proportion stating perceived harm to health, influenced preferred brand choice. Having a preferred brand among current smokers and pack appeal, and PWL salience and impact among ex/experimental and current smokers were largely unchanged. Conclusions: We found preliminary evidence that plain packaging and enhanced PWLs reduced tobacco brand awareness and salience, and misperceptions about tobacco brand harmfulness. Data collection occurred shortly after implementation. Additional studies are required to assess longer term impacts of these interventions. Public health implications: The findings complement existing evidence documenting the impact of plain packaging and PWLs on adolescents. Given limitations due to the proximity of the 2018 survey to legislation implementation, further studies with longer follow-up are required.