New Zealand Passes First Step Toward Plain Packaging Law

Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favor of the bill, which would strip all branding from tobacco products.

February 12, 2014

WELLINGTON – New Zealand has started to move toward plain packaging for all tobacco products with Parliament passing the first vote on the Smokefree Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill, the Fairfax NZ News reports.

The country had been watching neighboring Australia’s plain packaging journey before launching its own bill. Australia has seen a huge increase in sales of contraband tobacco since the plain packaging law was enacted.

New Zealand Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia introduced the bill in Parliament, with its eventual passage into law nearly certain. The measure would take all branding from tobacco products except from the name in plain, small type, and plaster warnings on the harmful effects of smoking on the packaging instead.

The implementation of the plain packaging will probably wait until Australia’s legal challenges are decided. “When tobacco manufacturers push tobacco, they are not simply selling a stick of nicotine; they are selling status, social acceptance and adventure,” said Turia. The legislation now is with the Health Select Committee for public consultation.

Tobacco companies strongly opposed the move. “We believe it would be wise for the Government to wait for WTO challenges to be resolved before considering the introduction of plain packaging here,” said Susan Jones, spokeswoman for British American Tobacco. “Plain packaging constitutes a severe restriction on the use of our intellectual property, including trademarks. This is a huge concern to us, as it would be to any business, because the effect is to render our trademarks unusable.”

The New Zealand Association of Convenience Stores expressed its concern that such a bill would cost retailers more. “The Ministry of Health seems hell-bent on supporting legislation forcing plain packaging through, despite the Australian evidence showing retailers are in fact bearing the brunt of this latest attempt to stop people smoking,” said Roger Bull, the association’s chairman.

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