Australia has recently announced that it has set out plans for new rules forcing tobacco companies to use plain packaging carrying graphic health warnings.From July 2012, tabacco companies will be required to drop all colour and branding logos from cigarette packets. 
The move, billed as a world-first, comes after recommendations were made by the World Health Organisation.
Smoking kills 15,000 Australians every year and is the largest preventable cause of disease and death in the country.
The government has made no apology for the measures. But a spokeswoman for Imperial Tobacco Australia said that the company planned to fight the measure.
"Introducing plain packaging just takes away the ability of a consumer to identify our brand from another brand and that's of value to us," Cathie Keogh told Australian broadcaster ABC.
The law will require all tobacco products to be sold in a standard colour and style, and carry government health warnings.
It follows regulations on tobacco advertising which have helped cut smoking significantly, from 30.5% of the population aged 14 and over in 1988 to 16.6% in 2007.
Source: BBC
