Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 2-Jul-14

Aggressive price increases ahead of the adoption of plain packaging laws allowed tobacco companies to post profit increases of 30 per cent in 2013-14. In the last five years, the profits of the three biggest cigarette makers have climbed by over 100 per cent, to $A2.2 billion. British American Tobacco Australasia, Philip Morris Australia and Imperial Tobacco Australia have resisted increased excise, plain packaging and a drop in smoker numbers via cost-cutting and price rises

CORPORATES
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO AUSTRALASIA LIMITED, PHILIP MORRIS (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, IMPERIAL TOBACCO AUSTRALIA LIMITED, THE CANCER COUNCIL VICTORIA, RETAIL TOBACCO TRADERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY