Plain packs are coming

The Australian high court has decided that plain packs do not take away intellectual property rights and are constitutional.

That looks like one big stitch up to me. The British Government won't be able to resist bringing in plain packs now, regardless of the opposition from the public.

The Canadians and New Zealand will quickly follow.

Big tobacco says plain packs are bad

British American Tobacco Australia says it respects a High Court ruling backing a world-first plain packaging push, but insists the 'bad law' will lead to a spike in illegal cigarette sales.

The court on Wednesday ruled the commonwealth could force all tobacco products to be sold in drab olive-brown packs from December.

BATA spokesman Scott McIntyre says that will have 'serious unintended consequences'.

We're all aware of the consequences, and so are the Aussie and British Government. They don't care though, this was never about health.

'The illegal cigarette black market will grow further when all packs look the same and are easier to copy,' he said in a statement.

'Although the (legislation) passed the constitutional test, it's still a bad law that will only benefit organised crime groups which sell illegal tobacco on our streets.'

Mr McIntyre said plain packaging also would put pressure on the industry to reduce legal tobacco prices as companies competed on price rather than brand name.

Black market fags and lower priced genuine fags will be a lot more harmful to children than the colour of the packets. I suppose the Tobacco Control Industry also needs to recruit the next generation of smokers to keep them in a job though.

BATA said even though it still believed the government had no right to remove its intellectual property, it would comply 'with this and every other law'.

They should do what Leg-Iron said and just pull completely out of the country, lock stock and barrel

Give it a month and the Aussies would be on their knees begging for them to come back.