Plain packaging rules have tobacco companies fuming

06:39 AEST Fri Apr 20 2012

AAP

Tobacco companies are vowing to fight planned plain packaging rules (Thinkstock)

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The government is confident it will win a court case if tobacco companies challenge plain packaging.

Cabinet has agreed in principle to introduce plain packaging for all tobacco products, following a similar move in Australia where the government is involved in a legal battle.

British American Tobacco New Zealand's Susan Jones said the company would "take every action necessary to protect its intellectual property rights, as would any other business faced with the removal of their brands".

Philip Morris said it would argue against plain packaging, saying it wouldn't reduce smoking rates and would "trigger a variety of adverse consequences and violate numerous international laws and treaties".

Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia says the government is better placed to fight the companies than Australia was.

"We have rules in place that provide protection, Australia didn't have the same rules," she said on Radio New Zealand on Friday.

"If the tobacco companies take the government on, I feel very sure they will not win."

Ms Jones says if the government goes ahead the next logical steps would be to force alcohol, fast food and salty or sugary products to be sold in plain packs as well.

She says plain packets are easier for criminals to counterfeit and the black market would undercut legitimate retailers.

"Perversely, smoking rates will increase as many more young people take it up after gaining greater access to cheap, illegal cigarettes."

There will be a public consultation process before the government makes a final decision on plain packaging.

Mrs Turia says its part of the goal of making New Zealand smoke-free by 2025.

Do you think plain packaging will deter young Kiwis from smoking? Have your say below.

User comments

I believe that the govt should be more foucing on the younger generations and getting them to understand the health risks of smoking in other words try make them to break the cyle of smoking because there where it starts. Furthermore I strongly believe that smokers should have to pay for thier own treatments and instead use the money that been wasted on smoker's treatments to be used in other sectors such as teaching and othe importants stuff

Instead of increasing the prices and changing the packagiing, the Government should make all smokers pay a health levy to cover the hospital costs for when they suffer from their habit. Secondly if you are not going to give up stop blaming the Tobacco companies Thirdly, Many people have given up because of the price,and some will give up because of the plain packaging. At least the Government is proactive,the smokers who continue their deadly habit AREN'T. I had a mother die from lung cancer. The last week of her life was not pleasant

The govt should actually bring more advertisement on the effects of smoking rather than increasing the price of smoke. Its actually a personal choice if you want to smoke or not. The only way to stop the smokers is by advertisement of health risks.

I love the Govt' thinking. NOT!. It amuses me how they waste so much money on their stupid ideas to try to improve NZ. Like the article states, Black market will rule, things will go from Bad to Worse. The money the Govt. spend on their attempts would be wasted Taxpayers money. And my biggest questions are, 1. Since the 1990's, the Govt. has a twice yeartly Tax increase on tobacco products, and 2. with that in-mind, how does the Govt. plan to create these taxes once they 'kill' tobacco sales. If you think about it, a $1 per year tax on the upper priced products over at least the last 10years, equals $10 pk x that by the volume sold yearly must rake in billions $$$ annually for the Govt. I am very interested in knowing how the Govt. intend to find this surplus income when all they are doing currently is 'Cost-cutting'. Maybe their efforts best used to teach the younger generation 'not' to smoke, because that is far more "way-cool" than smoking!. Bets me.

Where you asked where will govt get its funds once they dont get tax from cigarettes, you are neglecting to think about the cost the govt has BECAUSE of cigarettes. Hospitalisation and care for people who were stubborn enough to smoke themselves into a cancerous state fill up hospitals and cost the country money. If we can stamp out smoking, this cost goes down. Personally i think if you smoke you should pay for your own treatment later on.... personally.

Tobacco Companies are drug companies with only one drug to sell - nicotine. They know the fastest way to deliver nicotine to the human brain is to enable inhalation of it and that is achieved at low cost by supplying bits of the tobacco plant in paper tubes and then inducing people to set the tube on fire and inhale the smoke. There is nothing attractive about tobacco leaves wrapped in paper so everything they have ever done is to package the drug in ways that entice people to buy this rolled up tobacco. Deliberately inhaling smoke from burning organic matter is inhaling polluted air. We spend a lot of money protecting people from inhaling polluted air for health reasons. People die from acute smoke inhalation. Colourful cigarette packaging is just an attempt to attract the drug user to their particular version of the lethal rolled up tobacco leaves. There is no intellectual property unless you count the ways in which a tobacco company can make the tobacco leaves more addictive.

the goverment would have you believe that smoke elated death or illness cost the counyry a small fortune every year and that the tax on smokes does not cover it. PROVE IT, My mother died in a car accient last year an because there was smoke butts in the ash tray it was classed as a smoke related death, yes she smoked but that wasnt the cause of her death, If we all gave up smoking tomorrow what would ther goverment increase the tax on to cover the lost in income from smoke tax. beware all you choclate lovers ya next .

Again they try to fix side effects of an illness instead of addressing factors that actually cause it. Why some young people choose to smoke and other choose not to while the packaging is still bright and colourful? Apparently packaging is not the factor. Marijuana is sold without any packaging and yet it's becoming ever popular. What makes young people reach for a ciggie? How do they come to a conclusion that smoking is necessary? Is it embedded into an image of becoming an independent person? Do they perceive smoking as a way to gain respect and status among their mates? These are the questions to be addressed in the first place, not the packaging. If you try just to relief a patient from pain without actually treating the illness, this patient will develop it even further and all the pain relieving efforts will turn to be just useless. First it's an intellectual property rights violation. Second, it's a nanny state in force. Also, it will cost money and it's useless.

So most customers are attracted to the designs and displays on the packs so they buy them?? is that what they're trying to say? *** as a youth i think there is more influence from your peers,parents or any close relatives to start smoking then from colors on a pack. Waste of money and time.

Sure smoking has its bad reputation but ask me this, when has smoking ever caused one to commit a crime? and ask me this, how many lives have been ruined or destroyed by alcohol? You try to make New Zealand smoke free and you will *** a lot of people off which I'm sure will increase the crime rate in some way, like illegal cigarette rings ect, but my main point is why not nip the main problem in the bud that faces New Zealand instead of *** more people off and creating more issues in this country. You want to stop young kids or teens from smoking then come down *** them! I'm talking massive fines if caught smoking, I'm sure I've seen some form of nicotine tester you *** in to detect, why not spend money on something useful and give them detecters to schools and the police. This country is spending too much time and money on the things that will not push this country up there with the rest, lovely looking country but can't wait to get the F! out of here!