Scottish women smoked less and got less enjoyment from smoking cigarettes that come in plain, standardized packs, according to a new study from the University of Stirling.
The study included 187 young female smokers from Scotland who used plain brown cigarette packs, Cancer Research UK noted in a press release.
The researchers wanted to examine the extent to which young women smokers are influenced by the aesthetic appeal of packaging by comparing their responses to using the plain packs for a week to their responses of using their own regular packs. Women in the study said they were more embarrassed about smoking from plain packs and felt more negative about smoking from the plain packs, even though they were smoking their regular cigarettes.
The women reported smoking fewer cigarettes, stubbing out cigarettes early, smoking less around others and thinking more about quitting when using the plain packs.
The findings echo an earlier study using the same approach and anecdotal evidence from Australia, where standardized packs were introduced in December 2012.
