DRACONINA anti-smoking laws introduced with cigarettes sold in plain packages from 2012. The new laws will prohibit the use of tobacco industry logos, colours, brand imagery or promotional text of tobacco product packaging.Brand names and product names will have to be displayed in a standard colour, font style and position under the new laws, The Australian reports.The government is planning the measure to cut the attractiveness of the packaging to young people to further cut smoking rates.The measure has been strongly opposed by tobacco companies who have forshadowed legal action, arguing plain packaging breaches trademark law and amounts to confiscation of property.The move is part of a Rudd Government plan to cut smoking rates to 10 per cent or less of the adult population by 2018. - The Australian
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Hey, I also just heard about this on triplej radio and thought I'd leave a comment. In my opinion the packaging doesn't have a lot of influence on smokers behaviour. Banning ads and health education would be a much better strategy.
ReplyDeleteHere, in Europe they also put warnings on cigarettes - and heavy taxes - but the rest of the packages are colorfully designed. In Canada ('the first country in the world to implement such strong health warning message labelling on cigarette packages') they went a bit further and added (not so) pretty graphic pictures:
http://www.smoke-free.ca/filtertips-5/images/Marlbo4.jpg