Mentolic cigarettes will be banned from April 1. This is why – and what else changes

The recent regulations today come into force in Australia, which change the appearance, ingredients and packaging of tobacco products.

The Australian government has passed Package of tobacco regulations At the end of 2023, which include:

• Standardized sizes of tobacco backpacks and cigarettes, no pioneering sizes or cigarettes

• Updated and improved graphic health warnings and tips for resignation in all tobacco packages

• Warnings printed directly on cigarettes

• The ban on ingredients that make tobacco taste better and easier to smoke, including menthol.

Detailers have a three -month grace period for the sale of elderly shares in their stores until July 1.

Here’s what is behind these changes – and what must happen.

Up-to-date graphic health warnings

Cigarette packaging requirements have been stagnant since 2012, when Australia has introduced ordinary packaging regulations that forbade the apply of all logos and branding on the package. It was the world world.

While vast Graphic health warnings are effective Both preventing smoking and helping smoking, The effects are consumed If the warnings are not refreshed and diverse.

Cigarette packages must wear one of Ten new health warnings. Fresh warnings that smoking doubles the risk of cervical cancer and leads to diabetes will be recent information for many smokers.

There are also warnings about your own throw, cigars, bidi and shisha Tobacco packaging.

Cigarette warnings

The cigarettes themselves must now include one of eight health warnings Printed directly on filter paper.

Canada was the first country in the world take similar requirements in 2023

The size, shape and color of cigarettes have also been normalized to prevent tobacco from using unique cigarette projects to attract recent users. For example, long, gaunt cigarettes sold to women As a fashionable accessory and diet tool for almost a hundred years.

The ingredients allowed in cigarettes are it also changesFor ingredients that augment the taste of tobacco. The long list of prohibited ingredients includes everything from cloves, sugar, probiotics and vitamins.

Until now, the tobacco industry had free rule to add ingredients that augment the taste and attractiveness of cigarettes. This forbidden list also intercepts menthol and all ingredients that imitate menthol cooling properties.

Why prohibit menthol?

Menthol masks the rawness of smoke. Like the chilly lollie, which contain menthol to serene the sore throat and tame cough, mental in cigarettes prevents inexperienced smokers from responding to the rugged effects of tobacco smoke in the throat. This helps to smoke is a more pleasant experience to which adolescent users will return.

The introduction of crushed menthol capsules in cigarette filters turned out to be very popular with Australian teenagers. Teens who apply these products have smoked more often and have higher intentions of smoking in the future. The recent recipes also clearly prohibit these “crushing balls” or “flavors”.

Other poviats they have Forbidden menthol Sales and tobacco apply and an augment in resignation behavior have been reported.

No similar reforms for the United States

Mentolic cigarettes were Heavily sold for the residents of African Americans For at least the 1950s and constitute a third of the total participation in the US cigarette market. Tobacco control groups in the USA They were in favor of a ban on menthol For over a decade.

The American Food and Drug Agency (FDA) proposed a principle prohibiting menthol in 2022 and 2024 American general surgeon The report emphasized that menthol products augment addiction and are:

An island, women and Pacific, disproportionately used by black people, native Hawaiian and Pacific, women and people who identify as lesbians, gay or bisexual.

According to the administration of Biden FDA, it delayed the issuing of the final principle, which meant that the ban was not properly introduced before selecting Trump.

In January 2025, the Trump administration He completely withdrew prohibition.

There was a ban on menthol in the USA The expected will reduce total smoking by 15% and the number of smoking that can be attributed to death among African Americans by up to 238,000.

Reforms needed to stamp our illegal market

Organized criminals operate in the Australian tobacco supply chain to illegally import and sell tobacco products. Government operation to enter and take control of this supply system is long tardy.

Until this year, the two most populated countries in Australia did not even require licensing tobacco sellers, and Queensland introduced licensing only last year.

Australia will have to change the way to sell tobacco. Selling such an addictive and deadly product should not be so simple and common.

Both state and national governments need timely and clear reports about the size and scope of the illegal market and the strict licensing of the entire tobacco supply chain.

Companies that sell illegal tobacco must have real consequences – not only vast fines and loss of license to act, but also penalty allegations.

All aspects of the tobacco supply chain – from wholesalers to retailers – must be strictly controlled.