The benefits of ‘the ugliest color in the world’: A decade of evidence supports plain tobacco packaging
Twenty countries have implemented the measure based on dozens of studies and reports, but the industry insists there are negative economic consequences
Black News 
Australia became the global benchmark in the fight against tobacco addiction in 2012. That year, despite strong industry pressure, the country implemented a set of measures that many governments have since followed to address a public health problem that causes seven million deaths a year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). One flagship decision was plain or standardized packaging, which reduces the appeal of cigarette packs by removing branding and emphasizing warnings about the harms of smoking. The government left nothing to chance and hired a consultancy to identify the least attractive color for the packs. The color chosen was Pantone 448 C, a dull blend of brown, gray and green that became known as “the ugliest color in the world” and has since been imitated by other countries.
