Does this spell trouble for online cigar videos?

[Big_T_UK]

Does this sound like it could lead to the end of fun things like the Australians we like to watch so much on Youtube and others who want to do cigar related videos?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11088426

[daverave999]

Even if it is just about cigarettes, cigars will unfortunately get caught up in the crossfire. Non-smokers rarely understand that not all smoking is the same-you never hear about kids having a pipe behind the bikesheds!

It would be a pity to see the video reviews go, though they aren't exactly 'subtle' promotion of smoking now...

[Drewmidorn]

There is so much horrific stuff on the web... and this is what they want to ban?

[Big_T_UK]

Horrific stuff? You have my interest piqued. Links?

[r0lan6]

Guns, real-life violence, and general savage behaviour are all filmed and put on YouTube, Facebook et al (as evidently announced by corporations such as the BBC in the past). It is sad that the media chooses to voice these anti-smoking pressure groups. Perhaps they should focus on other areas that are in need of more urgent attention.

[Watkins]

I read this myself and thought something similar but I really do fail to see this being enforced on cigar reviews due to them being by a user for a user with next to no involvement from the companies themselves unlike the cigarette company's how have been found to pay people to slip in adverts and so on.
It's easier to find videos on smoking illegal things than cigars so how this is advertising I can't see

Also youtube would have to ban them purely on the UK location settings something easily tricked.

[bigbarneyhotdog]

...........not all smoking is the same-you never hear about kids having a pipe behind the bikesheds!

it was a common practice at my skool

[Stevieboy]

Horrific stuff? You have my interest peaked. Links?

Do you mean piqued? Or are you so anti-French you can't bring yourself to use their word

[Big_T_UK]

Yep, I am that anti-French, ask anybody that knows me.

[snooky]

Ive never smoked until recently, im in my fifties and at the end of my day i look forward to a Cuban , no one is going to tell or influence me otherwise it's all about choice and i know the same kids who smoked at school will look for another vice if ciggies are taken away .
Drugs aren't advertised, they are out there and do worse than smoke and booze together.

[captain duff]

In regards to the initial question having read closely the text of the report I would say no, not at this moment of time. It seems to be foccussing on advertising (direct or placement) specifically, so at this stage things like self-posted cigar reviews and the like should not be a part of this assuming the reviews are independant and not paid for by manufacturers.

However, as is often the case, this could be a thin end of a very large wedge. The real problem I have with studies like this is that no one advertises illegal drugs, and yet research constantly shows that nearly half the UK population has used them. So you have to ask why are these campaigners so hooked on continually hammering legal drug users (Alcohol Concern is another organisation that hugely cheees me off in this respect). In any case, fag companies these days have massive and rapidly expanding markets in the developing world and where there are usually no restrictions on advertising (and where the quality of the product is often questionable to say the least), but I guess western governments make easier targets for the health police.

Also, of course, this is an example of proposed web censorship which has a lot of ideological objections to it anyway.

[Big_T_UK]

Agree with much that you say above but remember, the example I use is the Australian lot who do run a big cigar retail company, in Australia. Although they talk about it regularly in the review videos it does not come across as a hard sell, at least to me. I would consider it would count as advertising though if looked at in the light of that report.

[cohibaIV]

There is so much horrific stuff on the web... and this is what they want to ban?

Its a crime within its self...

[Burner]

I'll be putting an anti anti smoking rant on yotube this weekend for balance

[Habana-Habanos]

This is TOO far. There is beheading videos the internet, there is videos of sickos killing people on the internet there is MUCH MUCH MUCH worse than tobacco.

What world we live in.