Australia cigarette packs with shock pictures

Tobacco industry faces defeat in court - Shock photos on cigarette packs become mandatory

08/16/2012

Shock pictures on cigarette packets are not new, but in Australia they will shape almost the entire packaging in the future, while the cigarette brand is only relatively small printed on the bottom can be seen. Cancer researchers celebrate the decision of the highest Australian court as a breakthrough in tobacco prevention.

According to the Australian legislator, cigarettes will in future have to be sold in uniform mud-colored boxes on which shock photos of cancer patients, cancerous tumors and smokeries will be printed on a large scale. The name of the manufacturer should be recognizable only relatively small on the lower part of the packaging. The tobacco industry had filed a lawsuit against the ruling up to the High Court of Australia, but now had to face a clear defeat before the highest court in Canberra. The judges dismissed the tobacco companies' lawsuit, confirming Australia's anti-tobacco laws, which are the toughest rules in the world. „Governments can compete with large tobacco companies and win“, Australian Attorney General Nicola Roxon said after the decision on Wednesday.

Court rejects complaint of the tobacco industry
For years, the government of the Fifth Continent has tightened tobacco prevention legislation over and over again. The single packs of large printed shock photos were the latest push to bring about a further decline in tobacco use. But the tobacco companies did not want to accept this easily. They went to court against the law. But without success. The current Australian Supreme Court's decision rejects the lawsuit filed by the tobacco industry and confirms the legality of the anti-tobacco laws. Thus, the packs are printed from now on, for example, with repulsive photos of a smoker's lung. Images of cancerous tumors and cancer victims will also be photographed in the future on packs that are kept largely uniform. The horror photos are intended to quit smoking.

Shock photos on cigarette packs with far-reaching effect
The goal is to dissuade as many smokers or potential smokers from the shocking images of tobacco use. A method that anti-smoking organizations and cancer researchers also want for Germany, because „a picture says more than 1,000 words“, emphasized Martina Pötschke-Langer German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg on Wednesday after the Australian verdict became known. Since 2010, the DKFZ has demanded standardized packaging for tobacco products and the imprint of so-called shock photos on cigarette packets. So far, however, have found in the federal government, no majority for such a step, explained the expert.

Criticism of tobacco companies to the legal requirements
The ruling of the Australian court makes it clear that the corresponding packaging regulations also withstand a legal review and that the tobacco industry must comply with the requirements in case of doubt. The Australian cigarette manufacturers were particularly bothered by the fact that their brand name should in the future only be recognized on the lower third of the packaging. In this way, one could hardly distinguish themselves from the competition, complained the corporations. For example, the manufacturer British American Tobacco plc, which does business with brands such as Dunhill or Benson & Hedges, doubted that tobacco use in Australia would continue to decline as a result of the new regulations. Proponents of „One-packs believe children have one reason less to start smoking. But there is no evidence that unit packaging affects whether or not someone starts smoking, even in children“, criticized British American Tobacco.

Share of smokers in Australia dropped significantly
In fact, the development of tobacco consumption in Australia is quite right for the legislators. Since 1983, the number of smokers in Australia has more than halved as a result of tightened legislation. Advertising and sponsorship are virtually prohibited to tobacco companies today. The information of the anti-smoking organization „Action on Smoking and Health“ According to ASH, the proportion of smokers on the Fifth Continent has been steadily reduced in recent decades. In 1983, still 40 percent of men and 32 percent of women took to cigarette, the proportion has now reduced to 16 percent for men and 14 percent for women. Hardly surprising, therefore, that the tobacco companies are fighting hard against further restrictions - they fear a further decline in tobacco consumption. However, to the delight of the anti-smoking organizations, the highest Australian court has not followed the tobacco industry's line of argument and has rejected the lawsuit against the anti-tobacco law, with the tobacco companies also having to bear the costs. The detailed reasons for the decision will be supplied by the High Court of Australia at a later date.

Victory for tobacco prevention
For the cancer researchers of the DKFZ, the verdict issued by the Australian court sparked enthusiasm. This is „a huge victory for tobacco prevention“, emphasized Martina Pötschke-Langer. In their opinion, the use of the unit packaging for cigarettes is one „Proven means "both to prevent young people from smoking, as well as to make it easier for smokers to get out." In addition, the shock photos are an aid in the prevention of relapse.Similar legislation such as in Australia would therefore be desirable for Germany. (fp)

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