According to Attorney-General Nicola Roxon the government is helpless to prevent the use of Australia’s most prized icon – the kangaroo on the packets of cigarettes in France. An image of a kangaroo and the phrase “An Australian Favorite” are on packets of Winfield being sold in France.
The branding of the cigarettes, made by British American Tobacco, has angered health groups and the Federal Government. One anti-smoking advocate dubbed the image the “cancer kangaroo”.
Ms Roxon said while the government is set to force all cigarettes available in Australia to be sold in drab olive-brown packages from December 1, it has no legal control over the packaging of cigarettes overseas. But it was inappropriate to use Australia as a marketing tool for a dangerous product, she said. “Frankly I think it's pretty un-Australian,” Ms Roxon said. “Whilst it's probably unlikely that we can do anything to stop these packs being sold in Europe, we certainly can call on British American Tobacco, as the Australian public can, to say 'get your hands off our icons'. Don't use them to sell your product which actually has nothing to do with Australia. They are trying to imply to the European market that this is something that Australia promotes, that this is something that Australians prefer, that this somehow is connected with our healthy lifestyle. Our life expectancy is the envy of the world.”
She was unable to say how long the Australian-themed packs had been on sale but said they came to the government's attention when an official saw them on sale in the European parliament. The cigarettes were spotted on sale by consular officials in the European Parliament shop in Strasbourg. Ms Roxon, who as Health Minister led the charge to scrap branding on tobacco products, said the kangaroo packets were “outrageous”. “Before we know it, we'll see Sydney Ciggies or Melbourne Menthols,” she said.
British American Tobacco Australia said it did not manufacture the European product with the kangaroo and another part of the company did. BATA refused to comment further, saying the Winfield tobacco branding was the subject of High Court procedures and it was inappropriate to comment.
But Quit executive director Fiona Sharkie said the “cancer kangaroo” used by BAT in Europe should be culled. “BAT are really capitalizing on the reputation that Australia has internationally as being outdoors with blue skies and healthy lifestyles - saying 'You can be like this',” Ms Sharkie said. “There's nothing glamorous about smoking. One out of every two long-term smokers will die from a smoking-related illness.”
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