Britain Considers Adopting the Australian Plain Packaging Reform
Published on December 2nd, 2011 00:00
Britain has been prompted to follow the example launched by the Australian government regarding its plans to prohibit logos and advertising on cigarette packages.
This week, for the first time in tobacco history, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's administration adopted a draft legislation that makes it illicit for cigarette companies to show their brand colors and logos in order to discourage youngsters from starting to smoke.
As a result, starting from December next year, cigarette packages will be banal and depict larger graphic warnings and bright pictures of the effects of smoking related diseases.
The legislation is forecasted to become law when the House of Representatives passes the correction this month. Several tobacco companies have threatened legal action, declaring that the legislation would illicitly decrease the value of their trademarks.
British American Tobacco Australia promised to appeal the law in the Australian High Court and prevented that the government was on "shaky legal ground". However, health minister Nicola Roxon stated that the Australian Government was “decisive to eradicate the last way of advertising” tobacco products in the country. She also said that they won’t permit to be intimidated not to take this action just because cigarette companies state that they could struggle their move in courts. They are even ready if the really take some legal actions.
According to the advised legislation, fines of more than AU$1.1 million and AU$220,000 can be imposed on any company or individual infringing the given regulation. Cancer Research UK has approved the resoluteness of the Australian Government and advices the UK Executive to follow suit. “Now as Australian legislation is on the way to guarantee that cigarettes can only be sold in plain packaging- prohibiting the brands and logos that attract youngsters to such a dangerous habit- it is evident that cigarette companies are refused of any opportunity to postpone the law that soon will took effect,” Sarah Lyness, Cancer Research UK's executive director of policy and information said in an interview.
Cancer Research UK is prompting that Britain should follow Australia's example in keeping children away from tobacco and pass a similar legislation which could save thousands of lives in the following years. One in two heavy smokers will die prematurely because of smoking, because the majorities become addicted to this habit since youth. It is evident that everything is done in order to eliminate tobacco and protect future generations. Lung cancer is the most widespread cause of cancer death in the UK.
