THERE is no dispute that cigarette smoking is a killer. And nicotine is at the root of the addiction.

There is no law to stop cigarette companies from adding any legal substance to a cigarette to accelerate the passage of nicotine to the brain to get a quick "high" or mask the astringent sensation of the smoke.

What is outrageous is that tobacco companies are perpetuating a campaign on two fronts.

The first front is to maintain the number of smokers. The second is to lure "young smokers".

Cigarettes are displayed for sale, just like sweets or chocolates, making them appear to be ordinary and harmless.

Why should they be so blatantly touted?

Tobacco products should be stored out of sight as is done in Canada, Iceland and Thailand.

The World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has endorsed an idea by the British government of hitting the tobacco industry with the novel concept of "plain packaging" of cigarettes.

This has not been implemented by any nation yet, but we hope our government will make it happen here.

The WHO wants all cigarette packs to adopt a "homogenous packing" plan, that is, all packs are to be identical, except for the brand name, printed in standard font.

No distinguishing features of colour, logos, box shapes or sizes.

The pack will just have the brand name and the health warning.

Research has shown that when smokers were shown brands with dull, look-alike packs, they were not attracted to them. And as a consequence, their desire to smoke them was less.

The tobacco companies have been upset by this proposition, so much so that Tobacco Journal International, the industry's main trade mouthpiece, retorted with a cover story: "Plain packing can kill your business."

Our Health Ministry must de-personalise cigarette brands and save millions of ringgit in health costs and, more importantly, millions of lives of people addicted to nicotine.