But policy experts say research shows that the mandatory introduction from December 1 of plain cigarette packs with graphic health warnings and the same colour for all brands will decrease the smoking rate.

The owner of Free Choice Tobacconist in Launceston's Brisbane Street Mall, Sharon Wade, said about 40 per cent of cigarettes in the shop were already in plain packs.

``We have to make sure that we sell the branded packaging prior to the plain packaging,'' Mrs Wade said.

``So we have to keep rotating the stock around.

``We used to identify the strength of the cigarette by the colour of the packet, now we have to read the pack and its small print.

``The younger generation says, `oh cool' (to the graphic new images on the packs) - for them, the more ghoulish the better.

``But others (older customers) go, `oh yuck', so we are selling a lot more cigarette cases.''

Mrs Wade said this resulted in the same volume of cigarette sales but also higher sales of cigarette cases and tins, which was probably not what the federal government wanted.

``It's backfiring because the cigarettes (in the cigarette cases) are a lot more attractive than they originally were (in the branded packs).

``The customers believe that the government is basically treating them like fools.''

Quit Tasmania director of quit services Kathryn Terry said research showed the new rules would work.

Ms Terry said research showed plain packaging was less appealing to consumers and the new rules removed glamour images and advertising from the packs.

She said plain packaging made smoking less appealing to young people so would help prevent them from starting.

For existing smokers, the new packs, complete with graphic health warnings, would help some to quit and was a useful strategy.