Suck-A-Roo

[Bart]

Looks like British American Tobacco have kidnapped the Australian kangaroo icon to be included onto it's Winnies in France.

Fumer Tue /Smoking Kills but why do they need to include the kangaroo?



UPDATE 12pm: ATTORNEY-General Nicola Roxon says there is nothing the government can do to stop one of Australia's most treasured national icons being used to flog cigarettes in Europe.

An image of a kangaroo and the phrase "An Australian Favourite" 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.

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.

The branding furore comes as the global tobacco giant prepares a legal battle against the Gillard Government's plain packaging laws in Australia.

The cigarettes were spotted on sale by consular officials in the European Parliament shop in Strasbourg.

The Government said BAT's "sneaky" branding showed why plain packaging was needed.

The Government is facing legal challenges to the new law, which advocates say would make tobacco less attractive to young people and cut smoking rates.

Critics argue private companies should be allowed to market their brands under international trademark law.

In April, British American Tobacco Australia and three international companies will go to the High Court to argue the laws are unconstitutional.

A BATA spokesman said he couldn't comment on packets sold with kangaroo symbols because they were marketed by a different arm of the global company.

The spokesman said the Winfield brand was also a subject of High Court proceedings so would not discuss the issue.

He also hit out at Ms Roxon for having "not respected the same High Court protocol".

But Quit executive director Fiona Sharkie said the "cancer kangaroo" used by BAT in Europe should be culled.

"BAT are really capitalising 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."


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-n ... 6242985576

[skippy]

OH, I thought my luck had changed when I read the title of this thread,Bart.

[mellie]

Well Mr Bart, you will never taste or smell those ghastly things on my breath again...... On this you have my word.

....

[mellie]

Both my parents smoked, this and both gave up around the same time ...actually, they were older than me, they were in their 40's....it really is a disgusting habit, (I only ever smoked 3 a day 'max')... so that's why I was able to go a week without them the last time you saw me Bart.

... ps- kids are nearly finished with the phone. xx

[Mattus]

At first I thought this was b.a.t being a smart arse and saying thank you to Australia for passing plain packaging laws. But it turns out Winfield have been using the kangaroo to sell smokes overseas for decades.

I can't really see the problem.

[Super Nova]

I think any pubicity is good. No-one will associate this in a negative way to Australia but it get one of our icons in front of them.

Just about everyone I meet in the UK would like to live in Aust.

We have a very strong reputation in the world. This will not cause any harm.

[Neferti]

Just about everyone I meet in the UK would like to live in Aust.

Yes, but when they get here all they do is whine about how hot it is and that there isn't a pub within walking distance of their house ....