Plain tobacco packaging upheld in Australia

Plain tobacco packaging upheld in Australia

www.stuff.co.nz

The Australian federal government has secured a big win over big tobacco with the High Court ruling Labour's world-first plain packaging laws are constitutionally valid.

The decision is expected to have significant influence globally with both the United Kingdom and New Zealand considering plain packaging.

Cigarette packs and tobacco products will be sold in drab olive-brown packaging from the end of the year.

(visit the link for the full news article)

tobacco companies are one of the worst conspiracies out there - with a proven record of deliberately gerry-mandering their product to increase addictivness, targeting children, and hiding information.

Now they have challenged a soverign governments right to legislate their packaging on the amazing grounds that they think it challenges their copyright!

I am not suprprised this lost - the government is not making copies of their product, nor letting anyone else use their brand names or anything of the sort - heck they still get to put their brand names on the packaging, but in a strictly minimal manner.

As the article says:

''The global tobacco companies have opposed plain packaging more ferociously than any other measure we have seen,'' said Professor Daube, who chaired the federal government's expert committee that recommended plain packaging.

The companies knew that plain packaging would have a major impact on smoking in Australia - and that other countries would follow.

Professor Daube said the companies' own internal documents showed that packaging was a crucial part of their marketing.

www.stuff.co.nz
(visit the link for the full news article)

Good.....

I have smoked all my life (about 30 years of it) and so I hope that ‘for what it worth’ this packaging will stop a few kids from taking up the habit.

Mickierocksman

Won't stop me smoking.. But when you have access to clean, untampered tobacco, it makes things a lot easier. They can do as they choose as far as I'm concerned. Changing packaging will not make a difference either way.

reply to post by Mickierocksman


Until someone decides that the new minimal packaging is uber cool......Does anyone still use "uber"

I just don't see this as being a particularly effective way to cut folks wanting to smoke.
Better if the cigarette companies were forced to removed at least some of the addictive additives

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
reply to post by Mickierocksman

 

Until someone decides that the new minimal packaging is uber cool......Does anyone still use "uber"

I just don't see this as being a particularly effective way to cut folks wanting to smoke.
Better if the cigarette companies were forced to removed at least some of the addictive additives

Uber? Only when your old like us can you use that expression

Education does not seem to work, so I am hopful that plain packaging may stop at least some kids.

Yes, it would be more benificial if the manuafcturers took out some (if not all) of the addictive additives.

Mickierocksman

It's more geared towards the prevention of clever marketing departments within these tobacco companies from using certain images and color schemes to appeal to (mainly underage) specific demographics.

It's not so much about getting existing smokers to quit but, taking away the marketing advantage and ability thereof to entice new (younger) smokers.

I fail to see this making a difference. We buy "black & gold" type plain label brand foods happily. Why would placing cigarettes in a plain package change anything as far as peoples buying habits? This seems like a big waste of time and money, really.

I would have thought it's the contents people are interested in, not so much the packaging.

reply to post by Mickierocksman


I agree with what you are trying to say but do you actually think that plain packaging is going to stop kids smoking? Some of the packages when I was a teenager were pretty plain. Peter Jackson was and that was my choice of cigarette growing up. I don't think it is going to make any difference and the ridiculous exaggeration of nasty photos aren't going to do much either.

Originally posted by TRiPWiRE
I fail to see this making a difference. We buy "black & gold" type plain label brand foods happily. Why would placing cigarettes in a plain package change anything as far as peoples buying habits? This seems like a big waste of time and money, really.

I would have thought it's the contents people are interested in, not so much the packaging.

Most cigarette packets in Australia right now without this law a pretty plain. Only a couple have pictures etc. This law is pointless. It will not stop children or adults from smoking.

My post isn't really about the effect of this legislation, but on the bloody cheek of the companies in trying it on in the courts when there is clearly no case to answer.

And what's more theyare trying it on with Aus's free trade agreements -

Now that Australia's plain packaging law has been enacted by its Parliament and upheld by its courts, the United States and other nations must stand with Australia and reject tobacco industry efforts to challenge the law as a violation of international trade and investment agreements. Trade agreements should not be used to undermine the legitimate efforts of any country to protect public health and reduce the death and disease caused by tobacco use. Philip Morris International has challenged the plain packaging law as a violation of an Australia-Hong Kong bilateral investment agreement. Trade complaints against the law have also been filed in the World Trade Organization.

Tobacco companies increasingly have abused trade and investment agreements to challenge tobacco control measures around the world, including measures enacted by the U.S. and Uruguay in addition to Australia.

- US Poitics today

And also similar news at Law.com

This law destroys freedom of CHOICE ! How will smokers know that they are getting their favorite brand ?
When cigarettes are hidden beneath the counter and in plain packaging nobody will know when a manufacturer has a price reduction or even know the prices AT ALL. In my local supermarket the cigs are hidden behind a solid steel cage and cannot be seen. This includes the prices. Laws state that prices for goods should be clearly displayed. These laws regarding cigarettes are illegal.

Smoking should be outlawed for anyone under 50.
If you are currently addicted, (and a toxicology report is needed) then you may continue to smoke.

We need to stamp out smoking for the NEXT generation.

Yeah, this is going to make a big difference. While were at it why don't we force various alcohol manufacturers to remove their logo in hopes of stamping out alcoholism. Hell, maybe if we do the same thing to junk food wrappers and soda bottles/cans people will lose weight!

C'mon, either sh*t or get off the pot. If they are trying to reduce tobacco use just have some balls and make it illegal once and for all. Oh wait, they won't do that because then their precious tax dollars will vanish into thin air.

Originally posted by DarknStormy
reply to post by Mickierocksman

 

I agree with what you are trying to say but do you actually think that plain packaging is going to stop kids smoking?

Well, one can only hope...... if education and graphic images have failed, what's next?

I wish I could stop, but the addiction after 30 years is just to much.

Mickierocksman

Originally posted by Aloysius the Gaul

Plain tobacco packaging upheld in Australia

www.stuff.co.nz

The Australian federal government has secured a big win over big tobacco with the High Court ruling Labour's world-first plain packaging laws are constitutionally valid.

Cigarette packs and tobacco products will be sold in drab olive-brown packaging from the end of the year.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This decision doesn't go anywhere near far enough. Just because fags are a legal product doesn't mean they are in any way a desirable product. I think the growing of tobacco, tranforming it into fags and selling it should be simply be phased out over a period of a decade or so. This gives the industry time to restructure and for people to grow other more beneficial crops and for workers to redirect themselves away from the industry.

Any government who wasn't affraid of the tabacco companies would, in the best interest of the nations health would establish laws which have as their effect, the gradual phase out of the industry alltogether but I wont hold my breath.

Is the tabacco industry an industry any country can afford?

No!,,, I will bother responding back.

reply to post by Mickierocksman



Go to the docs and organise a course of zyban mickie. Worked for me but too late. Bottom jaw has the big C. Oh well, my fault for starting. If the plain packaging even top one kid from taking it up becaue there is no glamorous pics then it is a success. To all the negative posters, I gue you must be taking lessons from negative Tony. All moan and groan and no decent alternatives. His head shakes sideways so much he would be able to audition successfully for a job as a dash board dog with a wobbly head.

Originally posted by steve1709
reply to post by Mickierocksman

 

Go to the docs and organise a course of zyban mickie. Worked for me but too late. Bottom jaw has the big C. Oh well, my fault for starting. If the plain packaging even top one kid from taking it up becaue there is no glamorous pics then it is a success. To all the negative posters, I gue you must be taking lessons from negative Tony. All moan and groan and no decent alternatives. His head shakes sideways so much he would be able to audition successfully for a job as a dash board dog with a wobbly head.

Hi Mate

Sorry to hear that about you.... my best wishes to you of course.

I have tried the meds, worked until I stopped using them.

Also to afraid to go to the doctor now.....

Its a bad set of drugs and poisen, if they won't take out the harmful crap, then I do hope some kids don't take it up forever.

Peace mate

Mickierocksman

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


The tobacco companies are nothing if not arrogant, but I am loving their reaction because I reckon it is the best indication that this plain packaging idea might actually work.

There can be no doubt that they have a great deal of research that proves that their pack design and regular tweaking is effective - not to mention knowing exactly which buttons to push for each market segment, especially kids so I think they know this is going to hurt them and how much, especially if it has a flow on internationally.

So yeah, taking it to the High Court and continuing their fight through Trade agreements may look "bloody cheeky" but I think it could be equally read as "bloody worried".

Good. I just hope that, this time, they keep on losing.

But if they have plain packaging, they won't be able to have those disgusting pictures on the back of people with mouth cancer or greyed lungs or such...