Australia enforces new warnings for cigarette packets, every single cigarette stick

Australia has become only the second country to take this hard line approach to cigarettes, with big changes hitting smokers today.

Australia will print warnings on each individual cigarette, as well as 10 new graphic packet designs. Picture: Supplied

Australia will on Tuesday become just the second country in the world to introduce health warnings on every individual cigarette stick.

The eight warnings – such as ‘causes 16 cancers’ and ‘poisons in every puff’ – will be written on the filter of a cigarette.

Canada is the only other country to have such warnings on each cigarette.

There will also be 10 new graphic images on the cigarette packs and an insert placed inside telling users of the benefits of giving up the habit and guiding them to support services such as quit.

Menthol cigarettes will also be phased out from Tuesday.

Professor Sarah Durkin, from Cancer Council Victoria, said smokers had become accustomed to the current images.

“Graphic health warnings have long proven effective in increasing knowledge about the harms of smoking, preventing smoking uptake and encouraging people who smoke to quit,” she said.

“But evidence has shown that the effectiveness of the current warnings has decreased over time.”

A lot of cigarettes were seized (Photo: istock)

She added: “We also have new scientific information that extends our knowledge of the health effects of tobacco use. The new graphic health warnings feature some of these harms of smoking that people may not be aware of, such as diabetes, erectile dysfunction, cervical cancer, DNA damage and the impact of second-hand smoke on children’s lung capacity.”

Rachael Andersen, Quit director, said the new changes would for the first time explain the harms of smoking as well as how to quit at the same time.

The Cancer Council states 66 Australians die from smoking-related illness every day.

Alecia Brooks, from the Cancer Council, said despite Australia’s low-prevalence smoking, it was still a top public health priority.

“We should be proud of our commitment to protect Australians from the harms of smoking,” she said.

For support to stop smoking or vaping call Quitline on 13 7848 or go to quit.org.au.

Originally published as Australia enforces new warnings for cigarette packets, every single cigarette stick