THE Australian Govt has passed the Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Bill 2023, placing the nation as a world leader in tobacco and vaping control.
The Bill consolidates and modernises existing laws and introduces new approaches to discourage smoking.
It complements the measures announced last month to protect Australians, especially young people, from the harms of vaping that include reducing the appeal and attractiveness of tobacco products through advertising.
The Australian Govt stated it had worked closely with tobacco control and public health experts to ensure there are "the best possible protections in place".
The Govt will move quickly to finalise new regulations to support the reforms in the Bill.
The new Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) legislation including the requirements for health promotion inserts, will start from 01 Apr 2024.
There will be a 12-month transition period from 01 Apr 2024 to 31 Mar 2025.
Industry will be given a year to comply with new requirements, with retailers given a further three months.
During this time, the Govt stated that it expects to see the new packaging requirements appear in the market gradually.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 11 Dec 23
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 11 Dec 23
