AU-no logo on cigarettes packs from today

i must say i would prefer them with no pictures...
http://www.rai.tv/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-63cffcd6-080a-4478-a00b-b62560b9313e-tg1.html
approx. translation:
Phrases and shocking images of the damage caused by smoking instead of marks on packages of cigarettes. The Australia declares war on tobacco. Today you will find for sale only packages' anonymous' cigarettes, unbranded therefore, no symbols or names of manufacturers, without promotional slogans, but the pictures really strong on the dangers of smoking: a tumor of the mouth in the foot 'eaten 'from gangrene. In practice, the packets will be all dark brown, with the brand of tobacco written with a simple character, without logo and 'topped' by shocking images of the damage caused by smoking, which must cover at least 85% of the package. This is a drastic measure in a country that already has one of the smoking rates among the lowest in the world. The aim is to encourage young people to stop immediately or stay away from cigarettes. Australia has already banned the TV advertising, sports sponsorships and other forms of tobacco advertising.

 

Blimey,

Maybe they should put pictures of road death victims across every new car thats sold too, that will wipe out driving within a generation.

 

If governments really wanted to stop people smoking, they'd simply make baccy illegal.

Why would they want to do that though? They will quote figures about costs to the NHS (or the equivalent in whatever country) for smoking related diseases. What they will not talk about is the revenue gained from smokers. And what they will certainly never mention is the long term cost of people living longer by adopting a healthier lifestyle. Ok, on that last point, they will mention that when the topic of discussion is pensions and retirement etc, but they will be very, very careful to keep the two subjects separate and pray that the masses don't make the connection between the two.

In short, governments want people to continue smoking, because they earn revenue from smokers, and smokers help to keep the population from growing too rapidly.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like it if more people quit smoking and lived a happier more energetic life, but then I don't have to work out how to pay for those people in their retirement.

 

You hit the nail on the head Dave.

Smokers pay an average of £6 a day in tax more than non smokers.

£6 x 365 = £ 2190 P.A.

Times average lifetime of usage, say 50 years = £109,500

So if all the do gooders that want us to give up can up their tax contribution to match that then fine.

Otherwise, I would suggest they get off our backs, admit that their clean up campaign has contributed to a mass bankruptcy to many of our pubs and that social life has become all the poorer.

Arrrggh, getting off my soap box now as I need to burn it for firewood

 

It is well documented that a smoker is likely to smoke more when stressed, and somebody who is attempting to quit is more likely to fail if they are stressed or worried about anything. Those points are accepted by the government.

Yet their anti-smoking campaigns are ALWAYS based on the idea of terrifying people.

The government's own chief medical officer (whoever he/she is) even tells us that nicotine is extremely addictive (it is one of the standard warnings on packets), so they know for certain that they are not dealing with a social or psychological issue that can be fixed with a bit of light brainwashing, they know it is a physical addiction, yet they try to simple tell people to quit. They know that wont work, in fact the opposite is true. You're sat their chilling out in front of the TV, trying to quit, having gone a whole hour without a smoke and somehow not even thinking about one. Then on comes the anti-smoking ad, and suddenly smoking is forefront in your mind. Or your chilled and at ease, the best state you can hope for when trying to quit, and then some advert comes along and whispers in your ear, 'you might be setting yourself up for a horrible death'. What is the standard response for a smoker to stress? You spark up. Job done.

I've abstained now for 13 months, but I'm not a non-smoker and probably never can be. There are times when I really, really want a smoke. Never when I'm relaxed, always when I'm wound up. Fortunately I've mostly got through the stage where the anti-smoking ads have an impact on me, but those ads actually hindered my many previous attempts to quit.

I once even went to the Smoking Cessation clinic. At the time I was smoking maybe 10 rollies per day. I told the nurse this. Acting under government guidelines, she offered me a range of nicotine replacement things. I accepted a piece of gum. It was only when I went light headed after chewing it that she told me that it was 4mg of nicotine, or nearly half my normal daily intake in one go. By the time it wore off, my cravings were stronger than ever before and overnight (literally) I went from about 10 per day to about 25 or 30 per day.

 

Remember this anyone...it's a classic....worth a listen.

 

I just think if you want to smoke and you're not bothering anyone else you should be allowed to do so.
I notice the supermarkets now have the cigarettes behind closed doors and you have to ask for them.
Its kind of making it look like its some kind of black market transaction.

I'm sure alcohol will be next, once they have wiped out smoking and pushed it underground.
But people will still die of various modern ailments, overweight etc.

Truth is we cant live forever, and the way the world is shaping up, you have to ask yourself, do you want to?