Experts persuade Australian lawmakers to adopt cigarette plain packaging
Published on June 19, 2009 4:31 AM
An association of Canadian public health experts wrote a joint letter to Australian government where they urged authorities to approve corresponding legislation forcing cigarette makers to pack cigarettes in plain packages.
The aforementioned letter would be handled to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd during the annual meeting of public health experts that would be held in Australia in July. One of this year’s issues would be the problem of youth smoking and the ways of its eliminating.
Similar attempts to push Canadian government to approve plain packaged cigarettes have not been successful.
Nevertheless, the chairman of Action on Smoking and Health Canada Ronald Mignon said that although their previous attempts failed, they still hope to persuade the officials to approve the measure since tobacco industry has lost the influence they had a decade ago.
He stated that it was proven a long time ago that plain packaging would be a very efficient means of preventing children from being lured to cigarettes looking on colorful cigarette packs. It would also be a big deal to use the space on the packages to place more warnings about the hazards of cigarettes.
He added that some day in the nearest future they would succeed in their attempts since the tobacco industry lost their associates in politicks, therefore, they would loose their influence completely. It would be question of time.
According to ASH claims, cigarette packs should have no elements of branding and company mentioning, on the contrary it should contain other information.
Mignon said that they want cigarette packages to post information about health complications related to smoking because many people are not completely aware of such issues.
ASH executive said that currently pictures on cigarette packs apply to emotional appeal of smokers, in order to make them want to buy these cigarettes. However, the health organizations seek to post the information about severe diseases and hazards of secondhand smoke on the packs.
Australia famous for its strict anti-smoking policies could become one of the first states to impose such measure, and in case the plain packaging bill would be approved it would create a precedent for other countries to adopt similar measures.
Australian government has already banned cigarette advertisements in print media; anti-smoking advocates claim that the packs themselves are the best advertisement of cigarettes.
However, in case the government approves plain packaging legislation, tobacco industry would instantly file a lawsuit against their decision, as it is closely related to the violation of the freedom of speech.
