Fed: Tobacco companies may fight new laws: health expert

AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-2010
Fed: Tobacco companies may fight new laws: health expert

CANBERRA, April 28 AAP - A health expert says tobacco companies are likely to challenge
a plan to force them to use plain cigarette packaging - but he's confident they'll lose.

The government will announce on Thursday plans to bring in laws making plain packaging
compulsory for cigarettes and other tobacco products by January 1, 2012.

Public health organisations have embraced the plan, as have the Australian Greens.

Rob Moodie, chair of the National Preventative Health Taskforce, said it would be a
world first and a terrific move.

Up to 80 per cent of cigarette packets would be covered with graphic warnings featuring
cancers and clogged arteries, and without other patterns on the packaging, the warnings
would stand out more.

Cigarette companies would probably challenge the move, Dr Moodie said.

"We know that the tobacco companies are very scared of (plain packaging) so that shows
that it is an important issue," he told ABC Television.

"It's the last bastion they have of promoting their products ... particularly that
will encourage children to smoke."

Dr Moodie was confident the federal government could win the fight and mandate plain packaging.

"We're pretty sure that in the long run we'll get national and bipartisan support."

The Australian Greens have warned that if tobacco companies try to challenge the packaging
laws, they would support higher cigarette taxes to recoup the full cost of smoking to
the health system.

AAP ca/sn

KEYWORD: TOBACCO MOODIE

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