As part of the Thrusday April 7 release of a draft plain packaging bill, the Australian government also announced that it would be increasing the size of picture warnings to 75% of the front and 90% of the back of cigarette packages, and a comparable size for other tobacco products.

This will result in Australia having the largest cigarette package health warnings in the world, with an average of 82.5% of the front and back.  Taking into account the proposed measures for consultation in…

New Zealand is likely to follow Australia's lead on requiring tobacco to be sold in plain packaging, Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia says.

Australian health minister Nicola Roxon has drafted legislation requiring tobacco companies to print their brand name in a specific font

If the legislation is passed, cigarette packs would have to be sold in an ugly olive green because research showed this was the least attractive colour for smokers, Ms Roxon has said.

British American Tobacco…

The Australian Government has released a proposal legislative bill for plain packaging, as well as a consultation paper. The documents propose specific requirements for plain packaging, including pack colour, font size, as well as restrictions on the colour of cigarettes themselves. The documents also describe new research conducted on behalf of the Australian government.

In April 2010 the Australian Government announced that all tobacco products sold in Australia would be required to be sold…

Even as the government is delaying the notification of new pictorial warnings on tobacco products, a health ministry official Monday said they have received feedback that the present pictorial warnings are unclear to people.

'We have had feedback that people don't understand pictorial warnings on tobacco. If there is a picture of lungs X-ray, some people are not able to understand. Again scorpion is a sign of poison, but some are not able to understand,' health ministry additional secretary…

Ukraine has announced that pictorial health warnings will be required on cigarette packages by October 2012. Packages must display one of ten warnings. Approximately 29% of adults in Ukraine are current smokers: 50% of men and 11% of women. To view the proposed warnings click here.

A major tobacco-industry funded advertising blitz has backfired, with new research revealing the "It won't work, so why do it" campaign persuaded more people to support the plain packaging of cigarettes than oppose it.

The Cancer Council Victoria survey of 2,101 Victorians who recalled the ad campaign found has found that more than eight out of ten (86.2%) respondents said the ad didn't affect their view of plain packaging 8.4% of respondents said the ad actually increased their support of…