[Intl-tobacco] Australia: Graphic warnings to plaster cigarette packets

[Robert Weissman]

Graphic warnings to plaster cigarette packets
AAP
June 25, 2004

 Graphic health warnings will cover one third of the front of cigarette
 packets under new regulations to be introduced by the federal government.
 Cabinet has agreed to the graphic warnings which will cover 30 per cent of
 the front of a cigarette packet and 90 per cent of the back of the pack.

 Health groups had been urging the government to stick with an original
 proposal to have the warnings on 50 per cent of the front and 50 per
cent of
 the back of the cigarette packet.

 They today accused the government of caving in to the tobacco lobby. Health
 Minister Tony Abbott said tobacco companies would have to introduce the
 warnings within 18 months of the regulations being gazetted. "This means
 that a total of 60 per cent of the primary surface areas of cigarette
 packets will be taken up by health warnings," he said. "One side of the
 packaging will also have printed health warnings."

 Mr Abbott said the total surface area taken up by the warnings would be much
 greater, and the graphic warnings much bigger, than under the alternative
 50:50 proposal. A Treasury discussion paper released in February proposed
 14 new picture-based warnings covering either 50 per cent of the front and
 back of packs or 30 per cent of the front and 90 per cent of the back,
to be
 implemented in June 2005.

 However tobacco companies pushed for a delayed introduction for the
 warnings. The industry advised it needed a minimum 18 months to implement
 the new regulations. The government has been examining changes to tobacco
 health warnings since 2001, amid concerns the older messages are losing
 their potency.