Graphic images compulsory on Cigarettes

Graphic images of diseased lungs and rotting teeth and gums must be displayed on cigarette packets sold in New Zealand from tomorrow. The gruesome displays are common overseas. Their introduction here is the latest move by the Government to try to turn people off smoking. Other measures including banning smoking in pubs, restaurants and workplaces have been credited with having an impact on the number of smokers. A five-year plan for tobacco control introduced by the Ministry of Health in 2004 also included initiatives aimed at discouraging people from starting smoking, and helping those who want to give up. Despite them, there are still around 5,000 smoking-related deaths each year in New Zealand. Government revenue from tobacco taxes runs at around $980 million per year. Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor will launch the new campaign alongside a lung cancer patient at Christchurch Hospital this afternoon. Some smokers have already had their first look at the new images, which also include close-ups of gangrenous toes and smoking-damaged hearts, as new stocks of tobacco products have worked their way onto retailers' shelves.