The Government is set to go ahead with legislation to introduce plain packaged tobacco products into New Zealand.

Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia made the announcement this afternoon saying it was a move that will reduce the last hint of glamour from smoking.

Cigarette packets will feature larger more graphic warnings.

Tobacco products will feature larger health warnings and be stripped of marketing imagery.

The move is being welcomed by the Cancer Society.

'The announcement is long-awaited by all tobacco control groups and something the Cancer Society has been campaigning for, for a long time,” says Cancer Society tobacco control advisor Skye Kimura.

'This is a major step. No longer will tobacco products be decorated with desirable colours and prominent branding – future plain packaging, with large graphic warnings, will depict the reality instead.”

New Zealand is set to become the second country to introduce plain packaging for tobacco after Australia introduced the measure late last year.

The Government has to wait until legal decisions in Australia are completed before the policy can be introduced here.

Chapman Tripp law partner Daniel Kalderimis says any decision to adopt plain packaging would lead to legal challenges to the process of the legislation and under international law.

The tobacco companies are expected to fight the legislation on the basis of intellectual property.

If challenges are launched, it is most likely tobacco companies would use New Zealand's bilateral trade agreement with Hong Kong to launch a challenge, says Daniel.

'Law changes would likely be met with the filing of legal challenges ''the next day'' as was the case in Australia.”

An outcome of the World Trade Organisation case is expected to take 12 to 18 months.

NZ First leader Winston Peters says giving the green light on plain packaging will lead to expensive law suits from mainly United States owned companies.

'Like so much this Government touches, all of this just doesn't make any sense.

'But following the Government's defective logic, why don't they introduce plain packaging on alcohol to tackle the massive social and criminal harm it inflicts on society?

'All plain packaging of cigarettes will achieve is the creation of the inevitable lawsuits which will cost New Zealand taxpayers millions of dollars.

'That is exactly what Australian taxpayers are facing after plain packaging of cigarettes was introduced across the Tasman on December 1 last year,” says Mr Peters.