Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon.
Last month, the Government said they are pushing to make cheap, generic cigarette packets the standard - no colours, just olive-green, bigger health warning (the graphic one) and a standard font reading the brand and the variant.
The tobacco industry is in a spin, and naturally they should. The Government hope that this will stop people smoking, particularly younger people, when there are no corporate branding. The tobacco industry, however, have said that there is no proof that plain packing does anything.
They are now come out today saying they will halve cigarette prices if the Government go ahead with their plain packaging plans, because otherwise, they will lose their market to the black-market tobacco trade.
GOOD!!!
I would prefer the packets stay the way they are, but if they do get the new packets passed, at least cigarettes will be cheaper. Besides, I use a cigarette holder most the time!
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