Translation of tobacco control policies from Australia to India

Project Details

Tobacco causes 1.2 million deaths per year in India.  Yet it is well known what works to reduce these deaths and Australia has been at the forefront of developing such interventions. This research aims to generate legal, behavioural and attitudinal knowledge on tobacco control, and in particular plain packaging to inform translation of policies from Australia to India, and to assess the impact of these policies. Firstly, it seeks to understand the political, legal and social feasibility of introducing plain packaging, then develop, pilot and introduce a surveillance survey to inform policy production and impact monitoring. This landmark research program will promote Australia as world leader in public health research.

This research utilises Australia’s leadership in tobacco control research to undertake legal, behavioural and attitudinal research to inform India in developing policies, such as plain packaging, so to protect it's 1.2 billion people from tobacco, India's largest preventable cause of death.  The surveillance system also aims to monitor the impact of such policies. Ultimately, if evidence supports India to introduce plain packaging then other regional countries will potentially follow suit.

Researchers

A/Prof. Nathan Grills

Dr. Premila Webster

Monika Arora

Collaborators

Public Health Foundation of India

Oxford University

Funding

Australian Research Council

Discovery Early Career Researcher Award

$372,000

Research Outcomes