Australian cigarette packaging 澳大利亚香烟外包装

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Cigarette packaging has strong images of smoking-related diseases

澳大利亚一些烟草公司给购买其香烟的消费者发送硬纸盒套来遮挡烟盒上吸烟有害健康的印刷图案。澳大利亚有关部门正在对此举是否违反新的香烟包装法案作出调查。请听 BBC记者 Phil Mercer 的报道：

Tobacco companies and retailers that try to circumvent Australia's plain-packaging laws could face prosecution, according to health authorities.

They're investigating whether to take action against cardboard covers and stickers that hide graphic anti-smoking warnings.

One firm that produces labels says that sales have soared because consumers can't stand the sight of the packets they buy. Just over a month ago, Australia banned all tobacco company logos and colours from packaging, which now has disturbing colour pictures of smokers suffering from tongue and lung cancer.

The president of the Australian Medical Association, Steve Hambleton, is confident that those who attempt to skirt the legislation will be shut down.

President of the Australian Medical Association, Steve Hambleton:
If you're trying to circumvent it, it's not right, and I know that the government will actually either fix the problem by changing the law or enforcing the law. But the second thing I thought was, this is obviously working. If companies are going out of their way to hide the warnings and to hide the labels, they know it's having an impact and that's reassuring for us.

Tobacco companies had argued that Australia's plain packaging measures would deprive them of copyright without proper compensation. But in August their case was dismissed by the High Courts.