by Christian Edwards
The Australian Federal Government's anti-smoking move is likely to be plunged into a tough battle domestically as it has sparkled controversies among smokers and been resisted by tobacco companies.
The Olive Green legislation, a draft legislation that will introduce a uniform "uglier packaging" for all brands of cigarettes, aims to warn smokers and reduce their buying.
If the law is passed, health warnings and the kind of graphic pictures now covering up to 50 percent of Australian cigarette packets will make up the majority of the packaging. The rest of the packets will be plain olive green.
However, smokers believed the anti-smoking campaign will not work. 32-year Sydney citizen Steven Ray said changing package of tobacco will not stop him smoking.
Australia's Health Minister Nicola Roxon said Thursday that they have done a lot of research to make cigarette packs as unattractive as possible.
"Apparently dark olive is the least attractive color - olive green - for any smokers and particularly for young people. There' ll be graphic warnings on the front and back - 90 percent of the back of the pack and about 75 percent of the front of the pack and we're updating the graphic warnings as well," said Roxon.
Grumbles from tobacco firms and retailers are mounting.
