The top tobacco companies are concerned that new regulations on plain packaging in Australia and Britain could spread to other markets, potentially limiting their future profits. Health advocates are pushing for cigarettes to be sold in plain packs with standard font and graphic health warnings to discourage youth smoking. Australia is set to be the first country to implement this by the end of the year, while Britain is currently considering it. Analysts predict that if Australia is successful, other countries like Britain, Canada, and New Zealand may follow suit, causing worry for tobacco companies that have seen strong share performance in 2012. Analyst Martin Deboo from Investec Securities expressed concerns about the high valuations of tobacco stocks and the potential impact of plain packaging regulations spreading from Australia. Analysts believe that the biggest risk to industry profits would be if plain packaging regulations were to reach emerging markets like Brazil, Russia, and Indonesia, slowing the transition of smokers to more expensive Western brands like Marlboro and Lucky Strike. Smokers in mature markets like Western Europe and North America are less likely to switch brands, so changes to packaging are expected to have a limited impact on their choices. To counteract declining smoking rates in mature markets, major tobacco companies are focusing on growth in emerging markets. The tobacco industry's growth has been supported by new packaging designs to attract customers, and if plain packaging regulations are implemented, cigarette companies will struggle to promote more expensive products to smokers. The industry is opposing the plain packaging legislation in Australia, taking their fight to the high court and providing evidence over several days. Tobacco groups are concerned that other governments may follow Australia's lead. Australia has strict anti-smoking laws, including bans on tobacco advertising, smoking in public, and displaying cigarettes in stores. Only 15 percent of adults smoke in Australia, compared to 23 percent a decade ago. In the UK, around 22 percent of adults smoke, with the market slowly declining. Despite this, Britons still consume 56 billion cigarettes annually, leading to over 100,000 deaths each year and straining the healthcare system. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has announced that his consultation process will last for 12 weeks until July 10, and he has emphasized that he is remaining impartial.