Australia’s world-first laws on cigarette and tobacco plain packaging have come into full effect on Saturday. All brand logos and colours have now been replaced with generic olive green coverings, gruesome pictures of diseased body parts, or depictions of children and babies made ill by their parents’ smoking.

The only difference between different packs are the brand names, and these are all printed in identical small font. It is the world’s most strict regime for the packaging of tobacco.

According to Australia’s federal government, the aim is to deter young people from smoking by stripping the habit of glamour. It is relying on studies showing that if people have not started smoking by age 26, there is a 99% chance they will never take it up. Federal health minister, Tanya Plibersek:

Even from a very early age you can see that kids understand the message that the tobacco company is trying to sell through their branding.

However, according to tobacco firms, these new cigarette packs will boost black market trade – leading to cheaper, more accessible cigarettes. Scott McIntyre of British American Tobacco Australia:

There will be serious unintended consequences from the legislation. Counterfeiters from China and Indonesia will bring lots more of these products down to sell on the streets of Australia.

[Source: Guardian]