A group of anti-smoking Quebec teens wants tougher rules for cigarette packaging. (CBC)

A group of anti-smoking Montreal teenagers wants Quebec to follow Australia's lead and force tobacco companies to use plain, logo-free packaging on cigarettes.

Australia's government introduced legislation on Thursday proposing a ban on cigarette logos and coloured packaging, as a measure to discourage smokers from lighting up.

Quebec should consider following Australia's lead, said a group of Montreal youths who took their message public.

They staged a guerrilla fashion show at the Berri-UQÀM metro station to mock how cigarettes are marketed to young, fashion-conscious consumers.

Young models wearing bright, modern clothing strutted down a makeshift runway while an announcer – tongue firmly in cheek – described their outfits using cigarette slogans such as "sleek", "classic," "slim" and "innovative."

Teens are vulnerable to the tobacco industry's fashion-influenced pitch, said Ioana Capilnian, 16.

"A popular IPod colour is green, so ... [companies] make a green package for cigarettes. And teenagers are really falling for this," and other packaging gimmicks, said Capilnian, who helped organize Thursday's event.

Esthetically pleasing packages distract from mandatory health warnings found on cigarette packs, explained anti-smoking activist Josée Daoust.

And teen smoking is still a major problem in Quebec, where "650 teenagers start smoking each week," said Daoust, who works with the province's Council on Tobacco and Health.

The council is helping Capilnian and her friends launch a petition calling for stricter cigarette packaging regulations.