Smokers will see stronger, more prominently displayed health warnings and contents information on cigarette packets from July 1 next year.
The 12 new warnings which will be rotated, included the dramatic message `Smoking Kills', as well as some of the current warnings and some new ones.
The warnings will cover one complete side of the pack as well as the flip-top and will provide much more detailed information about cigarettes and the harmful effects of smoking.
Health Minister Ian Taylor welcomed the introduction of the new warnings, saying they resulted from a recommendation by the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy, which is made up of all Australian Federal and State ministers responsible for health and law enforcement.
Mr Taylor said Western Australia had taken a major role in developing the new warnings and associated regulations.
"The new warnings were developed when research showed that many smokers were taking the current warnings for granted," he said.
"The research showed that some of the warnings were not strong enough and as they lacked prominence on the pack, it was easy for smokers to ignore them.
"The recommendation to replace the existing system is unique in that it is based on research conducted by the Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer in Victoria, which is by far the most comprehensive and thorough of its type ever undertaken anywhere in the world."
Mr Taylor said he was confident that the new, prominent warnings together with the detailed information on packs would help to discourage smoking, and complement other aspects of a comprehensive approach, including the phasing-out of tobacco advertising and making cigarettes unavailable to children.
"The warnings will not be ignored and the packs will not look so glamorous, which is how it should be," he said.
The new warnings also contain information on how to contact the Quit line to get information on how to give up smoking.
