PRESSING AHEAD

[TonyN]

Here we go again lets target the smokers.

A law introducing plain cigarette packaging in England and Wales could come into force in 2016 after ministers said MPs would be asked to vote on the plan before May's general election.


If it goes ahead can they realy see people smoking less or even packing up.
Would it stop us buying cigars if they hit us next if our favorite boxes of cuban cigars come in plain boxes
i don't think so .

How about targetting spirit bottles after that, just a plain white label saying what the drink is.
imagine what would happen if we should all pack up smoking can you imagine the loss on tax
then what maybe the government might encourage us to start up again because of the billions not coming in.

[parnaby]

I'm not sure what their thoughts are behind this to be honest. I really can't see people stopping just because it's in a label-less box. And, like you said, they will lose too much in tax.

I'm sure I read somewhere that the country makes more from tobacco tax than it spends in the NHS on treating smoking related illness.

Anyway, I quit the ciggies over 2 month ago now, so they can do as they please as long as they leave the cigars alone!!

[PeeJay]

In Australia there is now a thriving black market in cigarettes in proper boxes and sales overall have gone up.

[TonyN]

I'm not sure what their thoughts are behind this to be honest. I really can't see people stopping just because it's in a label-less box. And, like you said, they will lose too much in tax.

I'm sure I read somewhere that the country makes more from tobacco tax than it spends in the NHS on treating smoking related illness.

Anyway, I quit the ciggies over 2 month ago now, so they can do as they please as long as they leave the cigars alone!!

The big question parnaby is once they get their way with the cigarette smokers they will probably start on us
and then the spirit drinkers they can never leave things as they are,always have to find something to change no matter what.
Why don't they change the wrappers on chocolate for the chocc hollicks
and cake boxes for people that indulge in cakes that are overweight.

[tippexx]

,always have to find something to change no matter what.

Because the alternative is .... no more tax payer funded job and no more fat salary.

[TonyN]

Tippexx the trouble is they cannot leave things alone .
Cigarettes have always been as they are.......Not for longer though
Fox hunting how many years has it gone on..........not anymore though
Smoking in pubs........not anymore though
Smoking in cars kids in the back seat...........not anymore though

At this rate tippexx trust me we are next like it or not.
Branded box or plain box isen't going to stop me from smoking or buying wether it's pipe tobacco cigars rollups f##kem

[Timfy]

The issue is, in spite of the massive tax revenue (I have a few friends who work for a large international tobacco company in the South West- the tax & duty paid by that one company alone even in a single day is just staggering...) the government has to be seen to be doing something as smoking cigarettes is really, really bad for you. What can they do without it hitting the tax revenue too heavily?

Most cigarette smokers are addicts, I know of very few who are bold enough to claim it's even enjoyable. If the health issues, social stigma and bad smells etc. don't stop people taking up the habit then I doubt selling fags in plain boxes will, either. The government are well aware of this.

To draw a more extreme parallel, how many heroin addicts give up entirely because their fix doesn't come in a pretty box?

[TonyN]

To draw a more extreme parallel, how many heroin addicts give up entirely because their fix doesn't come in a pretty box?

Exactly timfy so it's a waste of time in my opinion plain packs will stop people buying ciggs.

[dvickery]

i believe plain packaging on cig packs ... is meant to keep new/young from starting to smoke .

personally i think plain packaging for cigars is a good thing ... unadorned wooden cabinet boxes only ... and while they are at it they can get rid of the annoying rings on cigars also .

derrek

[nicwing]

As I understand it Cigars are going to be exempt from the plain packaging directive but, that could change before the law is enacted you never know.

I believe that the move to plain packaging for cigars in Australia has had two main impacts:

1. There is a huge increase in forgeries as many of the measures put in place to stop counterfeiters have been removed with the plain packaging as it's easier to copy a plain pack

2. Many smokers now but their cigars from 'off shore' suppliers so that they can get the beautifully printed traditional boxes.

Anyway, keep the pressure on right up to the vote, you never know what the politicians may do

http://www.forestonline.org/news/headlines/plain-packaging-no-prime-minister/

[TonyN]

Derrek won't stop youngsters smoking wether it goes ahead or not i remember as a youngster smokers buying loose cigaretts
for x amount of pence which went into a small bag .

[TonyN]

Politicians will do what we want till they get our votes, then it's the usual thing when they get in.

[Timfy]

Derrek won't stop youngsters smoking wether it goes ahead or not i remember as a youngster smokers buying loose cigaretts
for x amount of pence which went into a small bag .

That's how I understand it, most smokers I know started at school and the packaging had little to do with it as kids traded single fags. It seemed to appeal to most as it was forbidden and seen as something for adults only, making it look even more forbidden will surely make it more appealing?

Most kids I knew smoked L&B when they found places that would sell them fags. The reason? They were often the cheapest cigarettes in the particular dodgy corner shop that they could get them from. Definitely not because the box looked nicer than all the other boxes on the shelf. Also worth noting that cigarette and tabbacco packaging isn't exactly attractive already.

[Andy 84]

I think the cigar exemption was because they estimated cigar smokers at less than one percent of smokers and that the average age of cigar smokers was over 30. So the plain packaging is all about advertising to youngsters (atm). It's already quite funny that if you want to buy the flavoured cigars that are aimed at youngsters from our sponsor they ask for a copy of your passport for age verification, but you can buy regular cigars without any problem!


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[TonyN]

Picking on the smokers again just heard on the radio
is it reasonable to deny smokers any kind of operations under the NHS
No good saying you packed up just to get the operation because they breath test to see if you got nicotine in your body.