"We don't smoke this shit. We just sell it. We reserve the right to smoke for the young, the poor, the black and the stupid." Dave Goerlitz, former model who appeared in Winston cigarette advertisements, recounting the comments of a tobacco industry executive.

Would you smoke just because the packet looked cool or your saw your favourite movie star light up? No, we know you're not that much of a sucker. But the tobacco industry thinks you are and so in order to get around Australia's strict advertising regulations, they're resorting to sneaky tactics to continue to market to you.  

Tobacco product packaging  

Fruit flavours

From the tobacco companies themselves...

Tobacco product packaging

Here are a couple of examples of tobacco products that are designed specifically to attract new customers, mainly young people.

Vogue Super Slims - The artwork on this pack incorporates a floral design to appeal to females. This is one example of many designs from this brand. View Image 1  View Image 2  

Dunhill twin compartment ‘‘wallet'' packs -  Once out of the cellophane, the cigarette pack folds apart. Separated by a thoughtfully perforated edge, it is ready to tear into two iPod-sized packs, one with 13 cigarettes and another with seven. Public health groups branded them ‘‘kiddie packs'', designed to appeal to price sensitive young people who can split the cost with their friends and then split the pack. View Image   

In December 2011 the Federal Government made it law in Australia, that all tobacco products will be sold in plain packaging from 1 December 2012. 

For more information check out Plain packs on this website 

Fruit and confectionary flavours

To mask the unpleasant taste of tobacco, the industry developed flavoured cigarettes such as green apple, strawberry and lemon. The packaging of these products is also visually appealing to young consumers.  

Many Australian states and territories have passed laws banning the sale of these types of cigarettes. The benefits of these types of bans is reduction of young people from taking up smoking.

So what does the tobacco industry say about flavoured cigarettes?

"We're very keenly aware that children should not smoke ... Our flavours are ones that have been designed and created for adults and tested on adults ." R.J. Reynolds Tobacco spokeswoman Ellen Wallace, 2004

Check out the fruit flavoured cigarettes fact sheet.

From the tobacco companies themselves...

The fragile, developing self-image of the young person needs all the support and enhancement it can get. Smoking may appear to enhance that self-image in a variety of ways". R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

How does the tobacco industry ensure it keeps you hooked?

The answer's in this clip:

Tobacco companies keep you smoking

A news segment discusses the increased levels of nicotine in tobacco products.

Want to see some ads that attack the tobacco industry and highlight addiction, product manipulation and unethical marketing practices?  Watch these television advertisments from the Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs.