Following news of Coles' move of countering the federal government's policy of restricting cigarette sale by unleashing cheap imported brands in the market, the Australian Greens said on Wednesday that they intend to counter the tactic by more stringent legislative initiatives.

Wesfarmers, the giant retailer's parent company, was already chided by the Senate for circumventing government efforts to reduce alcohol abuse by offering cheap alcohol in Alice Springs as Greens Senator Rachel Siewert stressed that Coles should consider being a more responsible corporate citizen.

Senator Siewert added that she was frustrated "to see one of our major supermarket chains flooding the market with cheap alcohol and cheap cigarettes when clearly we need a much more responsible approach to both alcohol and smoking."

Also, Mike Daube of the Australian Council on Smoking and Health said Cole's move was clearly intended to avoid the recent tax increase imposed on tobacco products, which is a glaring mockery of government's policy to discourage people from picking up or continuing smoking.

Professor Daube reminded the company that cigarette smoking kills one in two regular users and the retailer should refrain from "stooping to sell cigarettes to kids and I do hope that the company realises that they've made a mistake."

He said that for such a major company possessing an enviable reputation, Wesfarmers could do much better than "selling cigarettes at prices that appeal to kids and vulnerable groups," as he added that he intends to send a letter to Wesfarmers head Richard Goyder to urge him to reverse Coles' current policy.