Smoking rates in Australia could drop from 15 to 10 per cent within six years due to plain packaging, federal health minister Tanya Plibersek has said.

Speaking ahead of the introduction of new laws banning the sale of cigarettes other than in plain packaging, Ms Plibersek said it would take some time to have an impact.

"But when you look at what we've achieved in Australia - after the second world war 50 per cent of Australians smoked, now 15 per cent of Australians smoke," she said.

"We're keen to get that number down to ten per cent by 2018. So we’re going to keep pushing down the rates of smokers.