QuitSA - Graphic health warnings

History of health warnings

A health warning - Smoking is a Health Hazard first appeared on cigarette packages in Australia in 1973, after state legislation introduced in 1969 was implemented. In 1985, all states revised legislation or agreements to accommodate four new warnings that would be more prominently placed on cigarette packs. Smoking causes lung cancer, Smoking causes heart disease, Smoking reduces your fitness and Smoking damages your lungs were to appear with equal frequency.

In order to ensure that there was uniform labelling of cigarette packets, federal legislation required that from 1st January 1995, all cigarette packs must carry:

	health warnings on the 'flip top' in black print on a white background, covering at least 25% of the front of the pack. Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Smoking Causes Heart Disease, Smoking Kills, Your Smoking Harms Others, Smoking When Pregnant Harms Your Baby and Smoking is Addictive currently appear on packs.
	detailed explanations of each warning along with a tobacco information number taking up one third of the back of each pack
	information on one entire side panel about the tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide content of that brand.

Graphic Health Warnings

On March 1, 2006, the Commonwealth introduced graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging. On cigarettes and cigarette cartons, health warnings occupy 30% of the front and 90% of the back of packages.

There are two sets of seven warnings, which will be displayed from March 1 2006 – October 31 2007. The national Quitline number and website address will also be included. A rotation system has been developed to optimise consumer learning and awareness of the health effects of smoking. Two sets of seven health warnings (Set A and Set B) will be alternated every 12 months. (Set A takes full effect on 1 March2006, and Set B on 1 March 2007.

Set A