Important changes to the sale of tobacco products in Australia
Tobacco plain packaging and new health warnings
This website provides information about the Australian Government's new tobacco plain packaging and health warning legislation, covering the manufacture, packaging, labelling and supply of tobacco products in Australia.Tobacco plain packaging and the new and expanded health warnings are part of the Australian Government's efforts to reduce smoking rates.
Tobacco Plain Packaging Complaints
If you would like to report a potential breach of the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 you can:Online: Complete the Electronic Complaints Form
Email: Plain Packaging Complaints at Department of Health and Ageing
Phone: 1800 062 971
Fax: 02 6289 7837
Post: Tobacco Plain Packaging Complaints
Tobacco Control Taskforce
MDP 701, GPO Box 9848
Canberra ACT 2601
Reports should include the following information:
- Your details including name, address, phone number and email address
- Complaint details including
- the business name and address
- the business type: manufacturer, retail store (small or large), other (please specify)
- Details of the potential breach
- the type of product: cigarette, cigar, cigarette packaging, cigar packaging, roll your own pouch, cigarillo, loose leaf tobacco, other (please specify)
- the brand, variant and manufacturer
- a brief account of the nature of the potential breach
- attachments (including images) can be forwarded to Plain Packaging Complaints at the Department of Health and Ageing
- Please advise if you require a response from the Department of Health and Ageing.
About the legislation
The Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 and the Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2011 set out the requirements for plain packaging. The legislation prohibits the use of logos, brand imagery, and promotional text on tobacco products and packaging, and includes restrictions on colour, size, format and materials of packaging, as well as the appearance of brand and variant names.The Competition and Consumer (Tobacco) Information Standard 2011 specifies the new and expanded health warnings required to appear on all tobacco retail packaging and is an important complementary measure to plain packaging.
Key dates
From 1 October 2012:
- All tobacco products manufactured or packaged in Australia, for the Australian market, must be in plain packaging.
From 1 December 2012:
- All tobacco products sold, offered for sale or otherwise supplied in Australia must be in plain packaging and be labelled with the new and expanded health warnings.
Tobacco Plain Packaging Enforcement Policy
The Tobacco Plain Packaging Enforcement Policy ('Enforcement Policy') explains the options for enforcement of the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 and the Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2011 (together, the legislation) and the strategies and priorities that will guide decisions about enforcement actions. As the Department recognises that it will take time for non-compliant cigarette sticks (in relation to non-compliant paper casing and/or the alphanumeric codes on cigarette sticks) to pass through the supply chain and be sold, the Department has extended the sell-through period in the Enforcement Policy from 28 February 2013 to 30 June 2013. The sell-through period will not be extended beyond 30 June 2013. The Enforcement Policy and frequently asked questions and answers are available at the links below.Enforcement Policy
Questions and answers on the Enforcement Policy:
The Enforcement Policy and Questions and Answers will also soon be available in languages other than English for people from non-English speaking backgrounds.
Trade Descriptions on Retail Packaging of Imported Tobacco Products(29 November 2012)
The Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 only allows specific marks to appear on the retail packaging of tobacco products as permitted by the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 and the Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2011.A trade description is permitted to appear on retail packaging of tobacco products by section 20(3) of the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011. Trade description is defined under section 4 of the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 as ‘any trade description that is required to appear on the retail packaging of tobacco products by regulations made under the Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Act 1905 ’.
Details regarding the trade description required to appear on the retail packaging of imported tobacco products can be found in the Commerce (Imports) Regulations 1940.
The Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2011 permit a trade description to appear only once on the retail packaging of tobacco products; and for cigarette packs or cartons, the trade description must appear only on the side outer surface of the pack or carton that does not bear a health warning (Regulation 2.3.4).
Please note that this information has been provided as a guide only, and should not be relied upon as a source of legal advice. Substantial criminal and civil penalties that can be imposed for failure to comply with the provisions of the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011. If you are unsure of any of your obligations under the plain packaging legislation, or are having difficulty understanding the requirements, it is recommended that you seek your own independent legal advice.
Want to know more?
The information in the resources section below provides useful information for retailers and other suppliers of tobacco products on the plain packaging and new health warning requirements. These resources are also available in languages other than English for people from non-English speaking backgrounds.If you are unsure of your obligations under the tobacco plain packaging or new health warnings legislation, or you are having difficulty understanding the requirements, you may wish to seek independent advice.
Resources for retailers and other suppliers of tobacco products
Fact sheet:
Overview of the plain packaging measureTobacco plain packaging fact sheet (High resolution) (PDF 1065 KB)
Tobacco plain packaging fact sheet (Low resolution) (PDF 1064 KB)
Tobacco plain packaging fact sheet (HTML)
Frequently asked questions:
Common questions and answers on the new lawsTobacco plain packaging frequently asked questions (High resolution) (PDF 1681 KB)
Tobacco plain packaging frequently asked questions (Low resolution) (PDF 1680 KB)
Tobacco plain packaging frequently asked questions (HTML)
Tobacco plain packaging - a snapshot:
Outline of the responsibilities of retailers and other suppliers of tobacco products under the new lawsTobacco plain packaging - a snapshot (High resolution) (PDF 2629 KB)
Tobacco plain packaging - a snapshot (Low resolution) (PDF 1353 KB)
Tobacco plain packaging - a snapshot (HTML)
Tobacco plain packaging - your guide:
Visual guide to the plain packaging and new health warning requirementsTobacco plain packaging - your guide (High resolution) (PDF 10199 KB)
Tobacco plain packaging - your guide (Low resolution) (PDF 1272 KB)
Tobacco plain packaging - your guide (HTML)
Resources for people from non-English speaking backgrounds:
Information on tobacco plain packaging is available in Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Farsi-Persian, French, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Urdu and Vietnamese. These resources can be printed for convenience.Tobacco Plain Packaging Complaints
If you would like to report a suspected breach of the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 complete the Electronic Complaints Form, email the Tobacco Plain Packaging Complaints email address, or phone the Tobacco Plain Packaging Complaints line on 1800 062 971.Advertising Campaign
Tobacco Plain Packaging advertisementsTop of page
What's happening
Changes to the sale of tobacco products
The Tobacco Plain Packaging Information Kit provides practical information on the responsibilities and obligations of retailers and other suppliers of tobacco products under the new Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011.
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eHealth.gov.au is your gateway to Australia's personally controlled electronic health record system, linking you to information about eHealth records and the system itself. Visit www.ehealth.gov.au
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