Plain tobacco packaging Health, Dame Tariana Turia) approved plain packaging in principle, a move that tobacco companies said they would strenuously oppose. From July to October 2012 the Ministry of Health undertook a consultation which attracted over 20,000 submissions (including overseas submissions) from public health groups and also the tobacco industry. In February 2013 Government decided to proceed with legislative change in alignment with Australia. A Bill to require the plain packaging of tobacco products – the Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill – was introduced on 17 December 2013. The Bill had its first reading on 11 February 2014. It was
Tobacco products Tobacco products Tobacco is the agricultural product of the leaves of plants in the genus "Nicotiana". All species of "Nicotiana" contain the addictive drug nicotine—a stimulant and sedative contained in all parts of the plants except the seeds—which occurs in varying amounts depending on the species and variety cultivated. See types of tobacco and curing of tobacco for more information. The vast majority of commercially available tobacco is derived from the species "Nicotiana tabacum", although it is also produced from "Nicotiana alata", and to a lesser extent "Nicotiana clevelandii", "Nicotiana longiflora", and "Nicotiana rustica", among others. Once tobacco has been