Australia Proposes Logo Free Cigarette Packaging

New legislation introduced in Australia would require tobacco companies to use plain, logo-free packaging on cigarettes packs, in a bid to make them less attractive to smokers — in particular to younger smokers, the Associated Press reports.

The rules, which would take effect July 1, 2012, would ban tobacco companies from including logos, promotional text or colorful images on cigarette packs. Graphic government health warnings and photos of lung cancer would be prominently displayed instead, with the brand name relegated to tiny, generic font at the bottom.

“The new branding for cigarettes will be the most hard-line regime in the world and cigarette companies will hate it,” Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said. Rudd also introduced an immediate 25% tax hike on cigarettes, driving up the price to around USD $13.91 per pack.

Tobacco companies immediately blasted the packaging crackdown, and vowed to fight it in court. The government still has to gain approval on the packaging changes from Parliament.