OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER - 'Plain' packaging law must be passed before general election

摘要

More than half a million children have taken up smoking since the government first announced it would consult on plain standardised packaging of cigarette packs in 2011, and every day hundreds more join them. After a strongly supportive government commissioned independent review of the evidence, the public health ministersaid she wanted to introduce the necessary regulations in this Parliament. Unfortunately, despite successful implementation and growing popularity in Australia, the government is yet to make a final decision and is usingthe requirement to complete the process of notification to Europe, which runs until 2 March 2015, as an excuse for further delay. This is a complete red herring.