The Only Thing Missing is the Red Star

The plan by Health Minister Nicola Roxon will require tobacco companies to print their brand name in a specific font on an ugly green package.

The only thing missing from the ugly green package is a Red Star – until now.

As with the Carbon Dioxide tax, Australia will be the first country in the world to mandate plain packaging of cigarettes.

So what’s next?

Plain packaging for:

Soft Drinks

Sports Drinks

Caffeine Drinks

Beer

Wine

Spirits

Potato Chips

Fast Food

Ice Cream

Yogurt

Chewing Gum

Biscuits

Candy and Chocolate

Feel free to add to the list.

Once the door is opened, the temptation to plain package other goods rises.

Andy Semple

Comments

[Oldman]

1.

The brand name is still much too large in that picture. I should be no more than 4 points large. :)

[Andy]

2.

You're right! How did Roxon let that happen?
2 point font!!

[bob (red) brown]

3.

this is a wonderful day my comrades

bob

[Mark Sharma]

4.

Why does it say "cigarettes" on the pack? I think the big tobacco is trying to attract nerds who are into literature and stuff by using exotic words like " 25 cigarettes". It should be replaced with words " 25 Harmful things".

I can't wait for the day when I will buy a double whopper in olive green packaging with the words CHOLESTEROL written all over it! Thank God for the Communist Party ( ALP Division)

[Grantley]

5.

LOL....you might not have to wait long Mark...
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/call-for-laws-to-stop-us-becoming-the-land-of-fatties-20110608-1fsrk.html

And thats MY favourite burger (besides a Carl Jnrs)...I love a Whopper with bacon & cheese.

But I have one once in a blue moon so let anyone try & stop me from indulging occasionally at their peril!!!.

[Andy]

6.

I like MacDonald's cheese burgers too, but I happen to eat them once every blue moon or after a big night on the turps....

[Tee]

7.

Any chance to reroast the old chestnut will do I suppose.

Im a smoker and really dont care whats on the packet.

What is interesting here as well is the fact that seeing Abbott has failed to block this (as he has failed to block everything since he started on his campaign trail last year), the LNP will probably now lose their ‎$274,920 donations from British-American Tobacco and Philip Morris:

http://periodicdisclosures.aec.gov.au/

Fail Tony, Fail.

What's next the $2,954,375 the LNP received last year from Mining companies (see document link), when he fails to stop the Mining Tax and Carbon Tax?

Tony's Opposition for Opposition sake approach has achieved absolutely zilch since his political assassination of Turnbull; the ones who voted for him must surely be wondering about the dividends. I hope he thinks about things when he is away on his futile trip to Naura on taxpayer's money:

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/tiny-nauru-back-on-the-coalition-map-20110608-1fsze.html

Oh well, Im off for a Marlboro...night.

[thetrureal]

8.

You would think that the price of cigarettes would make people give up! $20 a day x 7 days in a week = $140 a week.

I read on syk news that some countries are against this plain packaging as they claim that the tobacco companies will be able to sell the cigarettes cheaper than they are now.

The way I see it as, people know what the products are and the health implications as in smoking, eating junk food “which is very cheap by the way” and alcohol.

Now either ban tobacco and alcohol or leave them alone as many people turn to these as to deal with life, then again that is something politicians down understand.

[Marksouth]

9.

All's good with the world while the contents of the package are still the same old unhealthy stuff. Because soon will come the day when every citizen is given their daily ration of two wholemeal digestive biscuits and a stick of limp celery, wrapped in the same olive green paper, before being sent off to work at the wind farms.

[NikFromNYC]

10.

No better way to advertise them to rebellious kids who want to show off how they are immune to toxins.

It's called the "peacock effect."

[Tee]

11.

No vested interests here:

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2756764.html