Tobacco firm reprimanded for plain packaging breach

A major tobacco producer has been forced to alter its cigarettes after it breached the Federal Government's plain packaging laws.

British American Tobacco has agreed to remove three letter abbreviations stamped on six brands of its cigarettes.

Health Minister Tanya Plibersek has said the products were "not strictly compliant" with the Federal Government's legislation.

From October it became illegal to produce cigarettes for sale in Australia that did not comply with the plain packaging rules.

The regulations say each cigarette can carry an alpha-numeric code for recall and manufacturing purposes, but that cannot be a form of advertising or in any way be related to the brand or variant of the cigarette.

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