Australia will soon become the first country to implement the plain packaging of cigarettes but tobacco companies have promised to struggle the new legislation in court.

From December 2012, all smoking products will be sold in olive green packages, which experts state is less attractive to smokers. According to the new law, adopted by the parliament, no trademark brand logos will be allowed on any packaging of smoking products, although companies will be able to place their name and the cigarette brand in small font.

The packages will continue to have scary graphic health warning messages and images, which will occupy 75% of the front of the pack and 90% of the back side. “If this legislation prevents an Australian from picking a colored pack and keeps them away from tobacco products then I think it will have been worth doing,” stated John Faulkner, a Labor senator.

The largest cigarette company British American Tobacco (BAT), which owns 45% of the Australian cigarette market, intends to challenge the legislation in the Supreme Court. “The government can’t take away economic resources from a legal company without any compensation,” stated Scott McIntyre, representative for British American Tobacco Australia.

McIntyre stated that the company’s cigarette brands as Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall, including Winfield and Benson & Hedges, worth billions of dollars. “BAT is a legal company with legal products selling smoking products to adults who know about the consequences. We are taking this to the high court as we suppose that the removal of our valuable immaterial goods is unconstitutional,” he stated.

Cigarette producer Philip Morris Australia stated that the legislation supposed it had no choice but to follow it compensation claim “through international arbitration against Australia law.”

The health minister, Nicola Roxon stated that the government won’t be intimidated by the tobacco industry. “We suppose that they will take several legal actions, but we hope that they will think twice. This measure is not only in our interest, but in the interests of the whole community,” Roxon said.

Cigarette companies declare that the plain-packaging law will raise the sale of illicit tobacco products. “Once cigarette package are alike they will be very easy to falsify,” said McIntyre. Anti-smoking activists have encouraged the legislation. “We hope that it will decrease smoking among teenagers.” 15% of adults in Australia use tobacco products in comparison to 23% ten years ago. For instance in Britain approximately 21% of the adults light up. At present Australia has the toughest regulation in the world. All tobacco products should be sold behind closed doors, as about advertising and sponsorship they are prohibited. It is banned to smoke in public places including restaurants and various entertainment establishments.

By Clark Moore, Staff Writer Copyright © 2011 Hot-Cigs.com All rights reserved.