If you think that takes balls, then you have no idea how big are European Union balls. Just google “cigarette packages in europe” and get ready to get seriously shocked.
As a European, I think Australia went even further and just removed all the branding from packages completely. In Europe, brands still get to have some design.
"Europe" is not a single place with one set of regulations - in the UK for instance there is no branding on packages at all. It's called "standardised plain packaging":
Canadian packages too. They required a rather graphic health warning over 50% of the surface area (showing a smokers lungs with explanation, etc) and also removed branding. So it’s a giant health warning over the top half, and then a plain brown lower half with the name/type
(I don't smoke btw, but my father-in-law smokes like a chimney)
Its hard to relate cause and effects, but I see a noticeable decline in smoking among younger people, and smoking has become very uncool. People will also make a big deal about second hand smoke, for instance if you're near a bus stop or busy sidewalk you may get called out.
I don't know if anything besides medical intervention can stop a seasoned veteran smoker, though. Packaging certainly hasn't had any effect on my few family members that smoke.
I don't know if it apply to the whole country or only my province (Quebec) but since then we also added that they can't be marketed at all. That include not being visible in a convenience store. I don't know how effective the pictures were, but not being visible that must have affected the statistics too.
What are you talking about? That (and way more explicit) has been standard in most western countries for decades. The US is just slow to adapt modern practices. No balls involved there.