It seems like the Australian government is ready to pull out all the stops in a bid to curb the nation's smoking and vaping habits. With the newly proposed legislation, the tobacco industry might be in for a massive shake-up over the next couple of years.

Remember the days when cigarette packs had attractive designs and catchy names? ('Virginia Slims', anyone?) Those days are long gone, thanks to Australia's introduction of plain packaging and graphic warnings on cigarette packs.

But as the saying goes, give them an inch, and they'll take a mile – and it seems the tobacco industry has done just that, finding new ways to market their products and entice younger people despite the restrictions.

But the government isn't giving up without a fight. Health Minister Mark Butler announced on World No-Tobacco Day that a proposed 300-page legislation is set to be released, with the plan to introduce it in parliament later this year.

If passed, the new laws will come into effect by April 2024 with a 15-month transition period, making the new regulations operational from July 2025.

Warnings on individual cigarettes, health inserts inside packs and the banning of flavours are among a raft of new 'world-leading' changes proposed by the federal government. Credit: Unsplash/rezamehrad.

Butler explained that the new measures target marketing strategies employed by the tobacco industry which undermine the intention behind the plain packaging and graphic package that the government had put in place a decade ago.

He said, 'Over the last ten years, it's clear there has been no significant action taken to build on the reforms that Nicola Roxon led a decade ago.'

The Health Minister further revealed that while daily smoking rates have dropped dramatically, around 12 per cent of Australians still smoke daily, accounting for over two million people. Since no adequate action has been taken to build on the existing reforms, smoking rates have essentially hit a plateau.

So, what's in store with this proposed legislation? A lot, indeed! Here are some of the significant changes you can expect if the new laws are passed:

1. Standardised package sizing and products: No more flashy pack designs or different sizes for cigarettes.

2. Uniform look and size of filters: This will target stylish, slim cigarettes that may be appealing to younger people.

3. Ban on flavours and additives: No more flavoured or fragrant cigarettes or vaping options to attract younger and new smokers.

4. Restrictions on misleading names: There will be no more confusing or catchy names for tobacco products.

5. Updated warnings and graphic images: Fresh, possibly more shocking images of the consequences of smoking on each pack.

6. Health warnings on individual cigarettes: Each cigarette will carry a reminder of the health risks associated with smoking.

7. Public health inserts in tobacco packs: The tobacco industry will be required to include public health information in every pack they sell.

'This legislation, as I said, is in the draft form being published as an exposure draft today along with a consultation paper,' Butler mentioned, underlining the seriousness of the situation.

If all goes according to plan, these proposed changes could bring about a significant blow to the tobacco industry and change the smoking landscape forever.

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Key Takeaways

• The Australian federal government is proposing new legislation to shake up the tobacco industry, aimed at addressing rising vaping rates among youth and the 12% of daily smokers in the country.
• This 'world-leading' legislation includes measures such as warnings on individual cigarettes, health inserts inside packs, and banning flavours in vapes and other items.
• Health Minister Mark Butler stated that the legislation aims to address marketing strategies used by the tobacco industry to bypass previous regulations introduced a decade ago.
• The proposed legislation is expected to be introduced to parliament later this year and become law by April 2024.

Giving up smoking is tough but totally doable! Just keep in mind that there isn't one magical fix that suits everyone. However, some proven strategies can up your chances of kicking the habit for good.

With the right tools, support, and a bit of planning, anyone can quit smoking successfully and start enjoying positive transformations in their life. Don't be embarrassed to ask for help, either! Consulting with a healthcare pro who knows their stuff can give you the guidance and resources you need to get on the right track.

Quitting smoking is a challenging journey, but it is achievable with the right tools and planning. Credit: Flickr.

We are keen to hear your insights regarding this news. What are your thoughts on the proposed legislation? Do you believe it will effectively reduce smoking habits among Australians in the long run? Please feel free to share your opinions with us in the comments section below!

 

[gordon1940]

Hmm. A lot of Alcohol "Red Herrings" here. Dont deflect the issue. Just have your say on the Subject.

 

[Jen77au]

Sadly research is showing vapes are more harmful . My so was using vapes when going out on the weekends and for weeks he sounded like he had pneumonia.

I tried vaping in one of my many attempts to quit, thinking it would be a safer, healthier option but still, I didn't like it and when I actually sat down and researched vaping I stopped. I had been vaping for not even a week, and despite the money I'd spent on those products, I immediately went back to cigarettes

 

[Suzanne rose]

I wish I had been strong enough to NOT continue smoking after a similar event! So much regret and money wasted. But I haven't given up on quitting! It's not the right time for me with my mental health, I have a lot of challenges right now. I once had a psychiatrist tell me NOT to quit! She understood it's my crutch, my vice, but I know I will quit. Once my mind settles again, I'll be attempting it and hopefully succeed. It's not illegal, and I barely touch alcohol, maybe a Bailey's at Christmas with the family, I don't do illegal drugs and I am very conscious of others if I do smoke in public. I walk away from the mainstream area, carry y own little ashtray and hand sanitiser, mints and a body spray (I don't drown myself with it either). I like to think that I'm a responsible smoker.

You are a responsible smoker and good on you for thinking of others.
I pray that one day and hopefully sooner than later you have the strength to give it up.
Then why not take the money you would have spent on cigarettes and put it in a jar then at the end of the year buy something really good. A reward for yourself

 

[Jen77au]

You are a responsible smoker and good on you for thinking of others.

I pray that one say and hopefully sooner than later you have the strength to give it up.
Then why not take the money you would have spent on cigarettes and put it in a jar then at the end of the year buy something really good. A reward for yourself

Thank you Suzanne, and I plan to upgrade my car!

 

[Sloopy]

Frankly, unless they do something to restrict sales of tobacco, it won't achieve much. I live outside a small town (pop ~1000, plus maybe half the same again in the surrounding rural areas). There are 5 outlets where cigarettes/tobacco can be bought. The bigger town 30km away has maybe 40 outlets for tobacco, at least two of which sell illegal tobacco and cigarettes. The government believes that restricting sales of vapes is the way forward, but is happy to allow tobacco products to be sold at not just tobacconists, but supermarkets, service stations, pubs, clubs, and corner shops. Wouldn't have anything to do with the tax revenue on tobacco, would it?

 

[Mr Chips]

I have been smoking for many many years....each year ...Lungs clear !! ..I enjoy my cigarette.....live on my own....friends come....I don't do anything much different...sometimes ....warm/hot doors open....
Winter ...sage INCENCE..... LEAVE US ALONE.....WE ARE ONLY HURTING OURSELVES...
ITS NOT LIKE DRINKING ....THAT IS WORSE.....IT CAN BE IMMEDIATE DEATH ....WITH A CAR..
I KNOW WHICH I PREFER!!!!

I would be devastated if I had to sit and watch a friend die of lung cancer over a period of months so saying you are not hurting anyone other thab yourself is a very poor excuse unless you have no-one

I have been smoking for many many years....each year ...Lungs clear !! ..I enjoy my cigarette.....live on my own....friends come....I don't do anything much different...sometimes ....warm/hot doors open....
Winter ...sage INCENCE..... LEAVE US ALONE.....WE ARE ONLY HURTING OURSELVES...
ITS NOT LIKE DRINKING ....THAT IS WORSE.....IT CAN BE IMMEDIATE DEATH ....WITH A CAR..
I KNOW WHICH I PREFER!!!!

It is cruel of you to say that your friends and loved ones would not be hurt if they have to sit and watch you die of lung cancer over a period of months. Your excuse for smoking is not valid in any way.

 

[Annna]

Can SDC do a comparison between $$ raised in tax on tobacco sales and $$ (government spending/tax $$) spent on medical treatment for smokers' smoking related illnesses in a particular time period/year?

Warnings on packets and on cigarettes as planned, have some impact on some smokers (not all).

I think a greater impact would occur if cigarette price incorporated the tax component $$ that would be equivalent to what is spent saving smokers' lives after they have succumbed to smoking related illnesses.

 

[Catherines]

Very cruel to assume you are hurting no one else. My son, 52, is a smoker and binge drinker (drunk almost every day/any day he does not have to go to his casual job) and it worries me tremendously to think of the damage he is doing, especially, to his lungs, liver and heart. As he does not live with us (and does not have a partner) I cannot do much for him now - he has to do it for himself.

I hope and pray you, and especially my son, will acknowledge and accept that smoking IS doing you a tremendous amount of damage and harm. Your lungs might be clear for now but there surely AND MOST DEFINITELY will come a day when they won’t cope and CANCER WILL take over. If that is slow or rapid YOU CANNOT CHOOSE, but it is inevitable. You have no choice in your health except to try and live for as long as you can in good health by the good choices you make throughout your life.

Your friends and loved ones will have to bear the heartbreak of your illness and also watch you die - whether slowly or quickly, is not your choice unless you try and change and help yourself NOW. My brother-in-law died within 9 months of lung cancer diagnosis AND he was in tremendous pain in the last 3 months of his life. That kind of pain is not something you want to think about - not being able to breathe is difficult, and the pain he went through is something I do not wish on ANYONE.

So don’t think you are immune to diseases of the lungs including CANCER. None of us can choose our health except assist by trying to do the right thing with our choices. Think of your family and friends who have to watch you suffer and ultimately die AND please consider their health. Passive smoking is a big threat and, while unseen for a while, it does happen. You are contributing to their ill-health and death even if you think your place is free of smoke etc by spraying your rooms. Fumes & substance do linger without any evidence.

I wish you common sense and a good life for the time you have left.

 

[Nana Zorak]

I would be devastated if I had to sit and watch a friend die of lung cancer over a period of months so saying you are not hurting anyone other thab yourself is a very poor excuse unless you have no-one

It is cruel of you to say that your friends and loved ones would not be hurt if they have to sit and watch you die of lung cancer over a period of months. Your excuse for smoking is not valid in any way.

Except that smoking is an addiction if the Government wants to stop it then reduce the cost of help instead of having to pay as much as the smokes themselves. Plus it is hard to break any sort of addiction without a lot of help. as I can see the fight in my daughter who has been smoking for 30 years.

 

[Annna]

Stopped cold turkey. Three times. The third time took.

 

[Ezzy]

Stopped cold turkey. Three times. The third time took.

CONGRATULATIONS. You are proof quitting is possible with persistence.

 

[Mr Chips]

Except that smoking is an addiction if the Government wants to stop it then reduce the cost of help instead of having to pay as much as the smokes themselves. Plus it is hard to break any sort of addiction without a lot of help. as I can see the fight in my daughter who has been smoking for 30 years.

You need to want to give it up. I did and I have been off the smokes for 40 years but in that time I have watched friends pass away from smoking related illnesses and it breaks my heart every time especially when they are in their 30s and 40s.

 

[Mr Chips]

Except that smoking is an addiction if the Government wants to stop it then reduce the cost of help instead of having to pay as much as the smokes themselves. Plus it is hard to break any sort of addiction without a lot of help. as I can see the fight in my daughter who has been smoking for 30 years.

It is not the Governments fault that people smoke, drink or take other forms of stimulation. It is however the Government (ourselves) who have to cough up (pardon the pun) for a large proportion of the cost of looking after these people when they are dying.

 

[cwolter4]

I am so tired, as a smoker of 80 years, of the new legislations always targeting smokers. We have had to put up with the exorbitant prices, which fill the treasury coffers and go a long way to pay for any medical expenses. We have been banned from smoking in most places except our homes & the car, so its not harming anyone but me. I am extremely careful when I smoke outdoors anywhere & always carry my small folding ash tray. Can we please have some legislation, of equal importance, on alcohol & obesity which have topped smoking in domestic abuse, and give smokers a break please

 

[Jen77au]

I am so tired, as a smoker of 80 years, of the new legislations always targeting smokers. We have had to put up with the exorbitant prices, which fill the treasury coffers and go a long way to pay for any medical expenses. We have been banned from smoking in most places except our homes & the car, so its not harming anyone but me. I am extremely careful when I smoke outdoors anywhere & always carry my small folding ash tray. Can we please have some legislation, of equal importance, on alcohol & obesity which have topped smoking in domestic abuse, and give smokers a break please

100% agreed. We are treated worse than lepers for smoking. By being a conscious person who won’t smoke near others, indoors and I too carry my own little ashtray, can they not see it’s our pockets their excess tax comes from and we aren’t drinking and driving or drinking and getting violent or taking illicit drugs and doing worse. Politicians have no clue what is going on in the real world.

 

[Smitheemma]

I remember the days of flashy cigarette packs and catchy names, but it seems those are truly behind us now. The government's push for standardized packaging and strict marketing rules could really reshape things.

Personally, I've shifted to vaping myself, and I've found there are plenty of enjoyable e-juices and options out there. If you're exploring alternatives, I came across fenixth8.com recently, which offers some good insights into vaping products. It's worth considering for those looking to make a change. Here's hoping these measures lead to healthier choices for everyone.

 

[Jest]

just let them vape and blow their brains out.