HEALTH experts in Wyndham hope plain cigarette packaging will make smoking less attractive to teens, while tobacconists are bracing for a blow to their bottom line.
The High Court last week rejected big tobacco’s challenge of the federal government’s plain packaging laws, clearing the way for new-look packets to hit Australian shelves.
From December 1 all cigarette packets will be olive green, have no trademarks and feature larger health warning graphics.
More than 22per cent of Wyndham men and 24per cent of women are smokers, according to the Victorian Population Health Survey.
Werribee GP Joe Garra said smoking was the “big killer” and praised the push to make cigarette packets more unattractive.
“It’s hard enough getting people who already smoke to give up, so anything to make it uncool for kids to smoke is fantastic,” he said.
“What we need to do is stop first-time smokers.”
The Australian Retailers Association expects the move will cost the industry $500million.
Spokesman Russell Zimmerman said transaction times would blow out because cigarette packets would look almost identical.
He said the new laws “simply make things difficult” for retailers.
Werribee tobacconist David Su said plain packaging would pose an inconvenience to regular smokers who buy cigarettes from his Watton Street store.
“Customers ask for cigarettes, they tell me the brand, the colour and it’s very easy to find,” he said.
“I don’t agree with the rules … it’s [just] going to be harder to know which one is which.”
While the reforms are aimed at deterring young people from starting the habit, Mr Su said the government should do more to help long-term smokers who were already addicted.
“Cigarettes are still the same for smokers and they don’t care about the package they come in,” Mr Su said.
The High Court’s decision has been hailed a “massive victory” for the government and Attorney-General Nicola Roxon, who led the push for plain packaging when health minister.
“I think the main aim is that we try to stop people getting addicted to start with, so we’re trying to take away any extra reason that a young person, in particular, might take up smoking,” Ms Roxon said.
