More regulations are facing tobacco companies as the Australian government studies measures to curb sale of cigarette and tobacco products across the country.

Expected to be affected by Australian as well as global efforts to battle the vice are producers of cigars, cigarillos and loose and chewing tobacco which would likely be included in the federal government's plain-packaging plan.

The expansion of the plain, olive green packaging to go beyond cigarettes was the result of a consultation paper released by Health Minister Nicola Roxon on Tuesday. Aside from the plain-packaging, the new rules would ban the inclusion of company brand or logo, but would still contain the graphic health warnings.

"Whether you are talking about cigarettes, cigars or pipe tobacco, all are addictive and all are harmful," Ms Roxon said in a statement.

The latest analysis done in 2004 of cigarette and tobacco products sold in Australia said that sales reached $9.31 billion, which was a 32 per cent increase from $7.06 billion in 1997.

However, as a percentage of total spending on all retail sales for that year, share of tobacco products and cigarettes decreased to 4.7 per cent from 5 percent. There was also a marked decline in number of outlets that sold these products to 35,000 from 40,000.

The decrease was not because of lower volume of sales but consumers purchasing the items at supermarkets and convenience stores instead of route trade and mixed business outlets.