Five years have passed since a coalition of tobacco-producing nations including Indonesia and Honduras challenged Australia’s world-first laws that prevent cigarette companies from using their own brands or logos through mandated plain packaging and the World Trade Organisation has finally issued its verdict declaring them valid under its rules.

Over the five years that the WTO sat on the dispute, Australia’s smoking prevalence rates have stalled despite falling sharply in the years prior to plain packaging and despite continued hikes to tobacco excise which have made us home to some of the world’s most expensive cigarette packs.

The ease of counterfeiting plain packs and...