As much as the connection between cigarettes and irreverent cool has been hammered into our collective psyche, it turns out it can quickly be outdone One year after a law passed in 2012 mandating that home grown tobacco be packaged plainly with huge health warnings, researchers have found that smokers of the plain cigarettes are more likely to perceive the experience as less satisfying than those who smoke the branded kind.

In 2012, Australia became the first country to demand that its domestic cigarettes be placed in plain, brown packaging, with gruesome health warnings taking up 75% of the box. Before the law was enforced, some cigarette companies experimented with slight alterations. One company, called British American Tobacco Australia, printed the line, “It s what s inside that counts,” on the lid, much to the ire of the Australian government.

But in the months during the country s transitional period between branded and plain packaging, a survey of 536 Australian smokers found that 30% of the plain pack smokers perceived the quality of their cigarettes as lower, compared to 20.1% of branded cigarette smokers. More than 26% of plain packers reported less satisfaction with their unchanged cigarettes, compared to 14.9% of the brand loyalists.

One of the authors of the study, Melanie Wakefield, who is also director of the Centre for Behavioral Research in Cancer in Victoria, suggested in a 2007 paper that cigarette branding alone created a set of self fulfilled expectations, or “halo” effect. “The wider consumer marketing literature shows convincingly that the taste of food and drinks is able to be manipulated by branding and labeling,” she wrote. “The expectation influences how a person thinks a product might taste, which then influences one s taste perceptions and liking when the product is actually consumed.”

Researchers at the Centre also looked at how smokers viewed the government s heavy handed attempt to influence their habit. But of the plain pack smokers, only 32.3% of people saw the dangers of smoking as “exaggerated,” compared to 30.9% of the branded smokers. Even more significant was the fact that some 46% of plain pack smokers had thought about the negative effects of smoking often in the week leading up to the survey, while only 36% of branded pack users did the same. Some 68.8% of the plain pack smokers reported that they were seriously considering quitting in the next six months, compared to 57.1% of brand loyal smokers.

But what if brand loyal smokers were less likely to be swayed by public health messaging in the first place? As the study notes, “some of the relationships found between pack type and quitting outcomes could be due to those more interested in quitting being less likely to avoid or even to seek out the plain packs.” Still, almost 75% of smokers in the representative sample the vast majority were smoking from the plain packs as tobacco companies shifted to the new rule.

“Even if avoidance among those not initially interested in quitting did occur, it may actually contribute to increased quitting thoughts and activity, resulting in a positive net effect of plain packaging when combined with the overall effect of smoking from a plain pack,” Wakefield tells

The British government had been considering a similar model based on Australia s, but decided to chuck the decision in May. In the lead up to the abandoned proposal, the Guardian reported that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) one of America s most powerful, corporate backed lobbying groups supported by the Koch brothers had begun pressuring the U.K. and other countries that were considering plain packaging.

“There is no compelling evidence that the Plain Packaging proposal will achieve its stated objectives to reduce the initiation of tobacco use and overall tobacco consumption and to remove the package s ability to mislead and deceive consumers,” the group wrote in a press release opposing the Australian law in 2011. ALEC also added that plain packaging would exploit “the poor, elderly and most dependent smokers” in the Australian government s dastardly plan to improve health outcomes.

Not so, according to the Australian study. “While further research is needed to assess the long term effects on smokers as well as effects on youth, the introductory effects we observed are consistent with the broad objectives of the legislation,” Wakefield says.

The best electronic cigarette

Cnn interactive – tobacco under attack

By Rebecca Diaz

Finding the best e cigarette brand just got easier. In today’s 2014 landscape, there are many brands of electronic cigarettes coming to market and I’m here to walk you through the dirty details so you can find yourself the right brand and not waste any time or money on something that won’t suit your tastes.

My brand of choice is V2Cigs. Click the banner here to get the latest promotions.

Why Do I Love V2 Cigs?

First is their flavor, particularly their red flavor, which is their most popular flavor. For anyone looking for a nice tobacco flavor, like a Marlboro, try out the V2 Red!

They have tons of other flavors to choose as well, I recommend trying a couple out.

If you want the easiest way to test these guys out, go for the V2 Cigs Ultimate Kit. This kit exemplifies the basis of what I love about V2 with all their customization options and TOP NOTCH quality.

You can select the types of batteries (manual or automatic), as well as 5 different flavors, so you can test them out to the max.

These guys go all the way when it comes to product quality, with endless testing of everything, to ensure they meet and exceed the highest standards.

But if you’re just starting out, it’s their flavor, as well as great vapor production and throat hit (that feeling in the back of your throat), that makes these guys really stand out. As with tobacco cigarettes, it really comes down to flavor.

And Their Prices

Not only do they offer an exceptional product line, the prices are very competitive. Their cartridges are $10 for 5 which is hard to beat. On top of that, we have some nice V2 coupon codes to save you additional money on your purchase.

Buying Direct

One more thing that I love about a brand like V2 is that you are buying direct from the official website&#8230 no middle man.

You can buy from their official site

This video from the company shows some of their attention to such high quality standards

Looking For The Best Advanced Vaporizers Money Can Buy?

Meet VaporZone

These guys saw a need in the market and over delivered. If you are looking for an incredible selection of eGo type batteries, tanks, and an amazing line of e cig liquids to go with it, you will love VaporZone.

Pictured here is the Pulse kit >

They have a number of APV kits like this to choose from, anywhere from the most basic, to advanced products that look like they come from outer space.

Read more about VaporZone here.

Visit

Use the quick guide to easily evaluate the top companies on the e cig market. I work with some technology wizards, and am a highly experienced blogger, so putting everything in an easy to follow format is priority #1.

While we perfect this website and get everything up to our liking, please visit the recently completed reviews

  • V2 Cigs Review
  • Vapor Zone Review
  • South Beach Smoke review
  • Bull Smoke review
  • Halo electronic cigarette review

Perhaps our most valuable page is our electronic cigarette coupon database.

Happy 2014, and drop a line should you have any questions or comments.