Some laws and regulations govern the use and sale of cigarettes in Australia, since the country partied the world healthcare organization framework convention that involves the control of tobacco.
Besides, the laws control tobacco use where they put restrictions in various setups such as smoke-free areas, advertisement, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products, labeling and packaging of tobacco, and restrictions of sales. Furthermore, such setups are legal measures that are reviewed by legal staff who conduct consultations with tobacco control experts as well as the in-country lawyers.
The smoking-free places restrictions indicate that smoking cigarettes are illegal within indoor working areas, public transport, and indoor public areas. Moreover, there is a combination of national and sub-national rules through which these measures are enforced, where the national laws are more strictly enforced. Some outdoor places are also prohibited from smoking around them.
Promotion, advertisement as well as sponsorship of tobacco is prohibited by the Australian national and sub-national laws. For instance, public acknowledgment and publicity of support from tobacco are greatly prohibited. However, national laws allow financial and other sponsorship from tobacco through the action should not be displayed to the public. Some places are so restricted that various forms of tobacco sponsorship are banned.
The Australian laws have put restrictions on the packaging and labeling of tobacco, where various types of tobacco must show various warnings on the packet. The law indicates that the cigarette package must have one of the given fourteen messages of warnings and display the corresponding graphic that covers seventy percent of the package face cover.
In addition, the warning message on the front face of the package as well as its accompanying graphic and the explanatory message must occupy ninety percent of the backside of the package. One of the side parts of the package must have the information message about the warning on tobacco use.
The cylinders and pouches with tobacco products must indicate the same message as the tobacco packets, although the percentage of the warning coverage differs. For tobacco cylinders and pouches, the warning should cover seventy-five percent of both the front face and the back face. Cigars must show one of the five given warnings in the form of pictures, which must occupy seventy-five percent of both the front and back face.
Moreover, the cigarette laws in Australia require that plain packaging be done on tobacco products that are distributed for retail sale in the country. Besides, the laws go beyond to give the color that the package should display where the package must be drab dark brown which is plain and made from cardboard.
Above the health warnings, the package should only have the company, brand, or business names, relevant legislative requirements, or any trademark that is recognized by the regulations. Besides, the cigarette package must be rectangular and should not have other markings on the outer sides or inner surfaces, and must not have unnecessary misleading quotes that include terms like low tar and other signs. These laws are aimed at controlling the consumption of tobacco products as they lead to health conditions such as lung cancer.
References
Gartner, C., & Bromberg, M. (2019). One does not simply sell e-cigarettes in Australia: An overview of Australian e-cigarette regulations. The Regulation of E-cigarettes.
