• 2/12/2006
  • Australia
  • Paul Dyer
  • news.com.au

Smokers will soon be confronted with images of mouth cancer, gangrenous feet, rotting tongues and diseased lungs on every pack of cigarettes.

The graphic images will be displayed on the packets from March 1.
Smokers – and shoppers – will be confronted with the gruesome images as part of a new “in your face” anti-smoking campaign.

The aim is to shock people into quitting smoking and prevent young people from taking up the habit, which has been linked to heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. It is also targeting people who have quit smoking but are at risk of a relapse.

The 14 images depict the health effects of smoking, including lung cancer, emphysema, gangrene, clogged arteries, peripheral vascular disease and heart disease.

Other images include graphs showing the number of smoking-related deaths in Australia and a picture of a child on a respirator with the caption: “Don’t let children breathe your smoke”.

Christopher Pyne, who is Federal Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister Tony Abbott, said new packaging was a ramping up of the campaign to show the dangers of smoking.

“Warnings on tobacco product packaging have been telling us this for more than 30 years,” he said.

“Sadly, very few Australians realise the full extent of the illness and disease which smoking causes.”

Mr Pyne said a review of cigarette labelling had been prompted by a perceived “complacency” among smokers about the old text warnings.

The new warnings will cover 30 per cent of the front of a packet of cigarettes and 90 per cent of the back.

They will also carry detailed descriptions of medical conditions such as emphysema and gangrene, along with anti-smoking messages including “smoking causes mouth and throat cancer”.

Mr Pyne said: “The new image warnings will be rotated to keep their message fresh.”

It follows the recent launch of a $9 million anti-smoking television, radio and print advertising campaign paid for by cigarette companies and targeting so-called light and mild cigarettes.

The joint campaigns aim to reduce current smoking rates by 1 or 2 per cent – about 250,000 adults.

Smoking is also associated with impotence, cancers, hearing loss, premature wrinkling and osteoporosis.

Information about Quitline will also be included on packets.