Graphic new health warnings on cigarette packets in Australia

The Australian government is really going all out to scare smokers and would be ones. I am not sure whether those who are already habitual smokers will kick the habit solely due to the larger graphics. Well, I for one, who was a heavy smoker (more than 2 packets per day) but I had to purely due to my health situation. 

I actually like smoking and I was a chain smoker but I was surprised how easy it was to quit (well I did not have any choice). However, before my health episode, I never thought I could quit.

Well, the cigarette boys will not take this sitting down as it is their bread and butter. Even how much the price of cigarette has increased, smokers will always find a way.

It's left to be seen whether we can scare people of our smoking or not.

Until the next time, cheers.

The Australian, September 17, 2011

Graphic new health warnings on cigarette packets

Health Minister Nicola Roxon previews the new plain cigarette packs. Picture: Alan Pryke Source: The Australian

GRAPHIC new health warnings on cigarette packets will increase in size, the government says. 

The federal government released new health warnings for tobacco products that are planned to complement the impact of the drab olive-brown background it has proposed to cover cigarette packs from next July.

Under world-first plain packaging laws, the government wants to ban tobacco industry logos, brand imagery, colours and promotional text from packaging.

The legislation is scheduled to go before the Senate next week.

The latest warnings and graphics will cover 75 per cent of the front of the cigarette pack instead of the current 30 per cent.

The renewal of the graphic images and the increase in size was recommended in a review of the warnings to avoid their impact decreasing with familiarity.

The images and text deal with diseases and conditions that have been proven to be caused or exacerbated by smoking, including bladder cancer, lung cancer, mouth cancer, peripheral vascular disease and emphysema.

“The new graphic health warnings are a striking and confronting reminder of the death and disease that tobacco brings and are a proven, effective way of helping people to kick this deadly habit,” Ms Roxon told a press conference in Canberra.

“Plain packaging and graphic health warnings mean that the glam our has gone.”

British American Tobacco Australia this week told a Senate inquiry that Labor's plain packaging legislation is badly drafted and unfair.

It argues the laws would remove the 'most valuable use of trademarks' without compensation.

BATA has said it will challenges the laws, once passed, in court.