Australia bans tobacco branding

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Australia already has some of the strongest anti smoking laws in the world, which include:

No Advertising of tobacco products, including point of sale

No smoking in any place in which food or drink is served,including out of doors.This includes all pub,clubs and casinos.

No smoking on public transport,which includes Australian airlines.

No smoking in any government building or most public venues places,such as theatres and sports events,. .

It is an offence to smoke in a private vehicle with a child passenger.

NOW tobacco products are to be plain labeled ,with no branding permitted. This is world first, so no one has any idea what effect it will have on smokers,if any.

I'll believe it when I see it.

THE Federal Government aims to make smoking less alluring to young people by introducing compulsory plain packaging for cigarettes.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/natio...5859637610

[Minimalist]

How fortunate that Australia has no serious problems for these....gentlemen.... to spend their time on.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

How fortunate that Australia has no serious problems for these....gentlemen.... to spend their time on.

A bit facile Min. Smoking- caused disease remains a major cause of death and disability in Australia,costing $billions a year.

Personally I couldn't care less if people smoke their tiny brains out. I DO care about the cost to the community in taxes,. I DO care about having to take out private health insurance because I can't get into a public hospital for non emergency treatment when I need it.

Smoking is an important risk factor for the three diseases that cause most deaths in Australia: heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. It is responsible for around 80% of all lung cancer deaths and 20% of all cancer deaths. Smoking has also been linked to cancers of the mouth, bladder, kidney, stomach and cervix, among others. Smokers are also at increased risk of having reduced lung function from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Using tobacco has been linked to a variety of other conditions, such as diabetes, peptic ulcers, some vision problems, and back pain. Smoking in pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth.

The HealthInsite topic page on Passive Smoking has links to information on the health effects of passive exposure to smoke.

Reviewed March 2010

http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/He...of_Smoking

[KichigaiNeko]

This is just another time wasting joke. Have you looked at a packet of cigarettes Padraic?? The ONLY advertising on them is QUIT! with random disgusting bits of body photo-shopped to scare kiddies!!

IF cigarettes ARE to be plain, then how do you distinguish between tobacco companies, (I doubt that it would be legal)?? This is just another one of KRudds stupid moral crusades against the Australian tax payer.

As for health issues... COPD is a genetic disorder (granted smoking cigarettes does nothing to help) but then living in cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide and Darwin don't do much for your lung capacity either.

I'm just wondering IF cigarette smoking IS the top killer anymore. Last I saw was that Obesity (probably from all those NOW ex-smokers) is THE BIGGEST killer here in Aus, if not globally.

This is another site for tobacco in Australia information http://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/

It never ceases to amaze how quickly people jump on the "Stop Smoking Altogether" band wagon. I guess they just want everyone to be as miserable as they are. One thing that caught my eye was that krudd's Hospital funding required $5 billion over 4 years and "hey presto!" New tax on smokers!!
I laugh-this prick of a primadonner has no fucking idea how to fund anything!!??? How much you want to bet that the revenue $$ get lost in the "Public" coffers?? And isn't there still some funding issues with the 'Home Insulation Rebate'?

Since krudd and his kronies took govt. this country has slipped further and further into debt; and NOW krudd wants smokers to bail him out??



Die krudd..die!

[Minimalist]

I have to agree with kichi, Pad.

Chickenshit laws, like this latest one you mentioned, do not solve the problem. If they wanted to solve it they should grow a pair of balls and ban the fucking things.

But.

Without knowing a single thing about the Australian situation I'll make a small wager that the situation is analogous to here. The government vilifies the tobacco industry while at the same time taxing the product which supplies a lot of money to those same politicians. Over here, we have a rather strange tobacco subsidy program which continues what the government is ostensibly against. The whole thing is rather like pissing in both of your pockets and complaining that your pants are wet.

[Zen Badger]

If they vilify smoking as being evil they can take the moral high ground and justify imposing even more taxes.

The government here reaps over 9 billion dollars a year in taxing tobacco.

Do you REALLY think they want people to stop smoking?

[leo-rcc]

As it is with drinking, driving cars, selling weed, prostitution (well in this country at least), it is publicly condemned by our government but still they reap a lot of benefits from its taxation. Hypocrisy at it's finest.

[KichigaiNeko]

As it is with drinking, driving cars, selling weed, prostitution (well in this country at least), it is publicly condemned by our government but still they reap a lot of benefits from its taxation. Hypocrisy at it's finest.

I think that THAT is what I get rather riled about, the Hypocrisy of not only governments but the newly "reformed" and the naive.

Tell me...if speed kills ...why don't astronauts die when leaving earths atmosphere??

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

I think that THAT is what I get rather riled about, the Hypocrisy of not only governments but the newly "reformed" and the naive.

Ah,you're upset with politicians for being hypocritical? I think that's a bit like getting upset with a shark for biting off some bloke's leg. But of course ,emotional responses are involuntary. We ARE able to choose whether or not to whine about our feelings.

Rudd's genius is spin and tokenism. Howard's was wedge politics.In the end our choice is between centre right Labour or Greens and far right Liberals. There is currently no effective political left in Australia. Regardless, we continue to get the government we deserve.

My view is to complain about the hypocrisy of others may provide a smug glow of self righteousness,but is adolescent and pointless. Hypocrisy part of the human condition.

EVERYONE lies. The average is about once every few minutes.It rare that we are able to change the behaviour of others.It's hard enough to change one's own behaviour in any significant way. Mostly our options are limited to avoiding behaviour we don't like or learning to accept it.

I have no idea if changing the labeling laws will have any significant effect. I see it as just another small step in making smoking socially unacceptable. THAT is what is reducing the rate of smoking in our society. I want cigarettes to remain legal ,but smoking banned in all public places,including motor vehicles

The number of smoking-related deaths are reducing,because the rate of smoking is reducing. However, the irony is the revenue from cigarettes does not come close to balancing the long term financial cost to the community.--and how do you measure social/personal costs?

[bozo]

As a non-smoker I truly hate being in the company of smelly smokers. When I was younger and attractive to women, I couldn't stand the smell of smoking on a woman's breath. Now I am older, I still can't stand it, but it is less of an issue.
I find it incredible that the habit still exists, particularly where young people are concerned.
I would rather they do other anti-social things than smoke smelly ciggies.
Do smokers not realise how smelly they are, or do they not care?