@article {Carter572, author = {Owen B J Carter and Brennen W Mills and Tina Phan and Jonathon R Bremner}, title = {Measuring the effect of cigarette plain packaging on transaction times and selection errors in a simulation experiment}, volume = {21}, number = {6}, pages = {572--577}, year = {2012}, doi = {10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2011-050087}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group Ltd}, abstract = {Introduction Australia has introduced legislation to force all cigarette packaging to be generic from 2012 onwards. The tobacco retail industry estimates this will result in transaction times increasing by 15{\textendash}45 s per pack and is spending at least $A10 million of tobacco industry funds on an advertising campaigns claiming that the increased time and errors associated with plain packaging will ultimately cost small businesses $A461 million per annum and endanger 15 000 jobs. We undertook an objective experiment to test these claims. Methodology Participants (n=52) were randomly assigned to stand in front of a display of either 50 plain or coloured cigarette packets and then were read a randomly ordered list of cigarette brands. The time participants took to locate each packet was recorded and all selection errors were noted. After 50 {\textquoteleft}transactions{\textquoteright}, participants repeated the entire experiment with the alternative plain/coloured packs. Afterwards, participants were asked in an open-ended manner whether plain or coloured packaging was easier to locate and why. Results The average transaction was significantly quicker for plain compared with coloured packs (2.92 vs 3.17 s; p=0.040). One or more mistakes were made by 40.4\% of participants when selecting coloured packaging compared with only 17.3\% for plain packaging (p=0.011). Qualitative results suggested that the colours and inconsistent location of brand names often served to distract when participants scanned for brands. Conclusion Rather than plain packaging requiring an additional 45 s per transaction, our results suggest that it will, if anything, modestly decrease transaction times and selection errors.}, issn = {0964-4563}, URL = {https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/21/6/572}, eprint = {https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/21/6/572.full.pdf}, journal = {Tobacco Control} }