KEY POINTS:
Peter O'Hagan doubts long-time smokers like him will pay much attention to graphic images appearing on cigarette packets.
But the 64-year-old lung cancer sufferer hopes the requirement coming into force today will at least stop a few young people from ending up in his position.
"I just want to say for the young people, it's crazy to start, there's no need to smoke. I have done it for 50-something years of my life and I'm suffering for it now.
"It should be a class drug. Eventually I hope it will be a class drug."
New Zealand is following in the footsteps of countries such as Australia and Canada by requiring images of diseased lungs, gangrenous toes, smoke-damaged hearts and rotting teeth and gums on cigarette packets.
"We make no apology for these ugly, graphic photos," said Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor.
"They're designed to shock people into realising that smoking kills and causes a wide range of serious illnesses."
The initiative has the support of anti-smoking groups, but the country's largest supplier of cigarettes is questioning whether it will be effective.
"International research opinion is divided as to whether graphic health warnings will have any impact on smoking rates," said British American Tobacco New Zealand spokeswoman Susan Jones.
Michael Colhoun, spokesman for anti-smoking lobby group Ash, said the graphic images displayed had helped boost calls to the national smoking quitline in Australia, and using them here was a step in the right direction.
"But a lot more needs to be done," Mr Colhoun said.
Mr O'Hagan said he started smoking "from birth" - with parents lighting up - and he took up the habit himself from age 10 or 11.
He thinks the graphic images on cigarette packets might make younger people stop and think.
* KICKING THE HABIT
From today, cigarette packets must display graphic new images of body parts affected by smoking.
Retailers have until August 28 to sell any stock with the existing health warnings.
About 5000 people die from smoking-related illnesses each year.
