Cigarettes: What the new plain packaging will look like

New tobacco plain packaging
The new plain packaging is being rolled out in 2018. Photo credit: health.govt.nz

Plain brown and green-coloured tobacco packaging, with a new array of images showing the health consequences of smoking, are set to be on shelves from March next year.

Associate Health Minister Nicky Wagner and Māori Party co-leader Marama Fox made the announcement on Thursday, revealing how the new packaging will look.

Lung warning
Photo credit: health.govt.nz

The images on the Ministry of Health website show nothing except for the product's brand name in a generic font will reveal which cigarettes are which.

Heart warning
Photo credit: health.govt.nz

Bold black text on a yellow background dominates the top of the packaging, accompanied by a picture of a body part that's been affected by smoking. These images are larger than the ones currently on tobacco packaging.

Stroke warning
Photo credit: health.govt.nz

"More than 5000 New Zealanders die of smoking-related illnesses each year - that's about 14 people per day, or more than one every two hours," Ms Wagner says.

"Standardised packaging, along with the existing suite of tobacco control measures and stop smoking services, is the logical next step toward our Smokefree 2025 goal."

Kids warning
Photo credit: health.govt.nz

Ms Fox says: "The bland packs will maximise the impact of health warnings and cut out any false impression that smoking is cool or glamorous.

Not attractive warning
Photo credit: health.govt.nz

"This will make a real difference to our whanau and communities who witness the harm smoking causes every day."

The new packs will roll out from 14 March 2018.

Newshub.