Ok, this is my last post for the week about serious issues - I promise.
Cigarette smoking is a vile habit, but the last time I checked it was legal, and the NZ government makes a shit load of money from taxing smokers.
Now the Government is making the tobacco companies put graphic pictures of the effects of smoking on cigarette packets in an effort to reduce the number of people smoking. The article (including an image) can be found in full here.
The ministry is today releasing the images it would like to see on cigarette packets ahead of a government decision on whether to cover two-thirds of packaging with anti-smoking messages.
The pictures include those of an ulcerated mouth, gangrenous toes, a close-up of a damaged heart and lungs, and a deformed human eye to convey the message that smoking can cause blindness.
The release of the images has been timed to coincide with a Government review of tobacco regulations, particularly with regard to labelling. The regulations were last reviewed a decade ago.
If the Government were truely serious about stopping people smoking they would raise taxes on cigarettes to a point where the majority of people couldn't afford them. Having these "images" on the packets just makes it easier for the law makers to sleep nights - right?
I'm sure that after a few weeks "regular users" getting a "fix" wont notice the images anymore, but those of us who dont smoke will be subjected to the horror advertising for a habit we will never take up.
Grow up for God's sake!
Those who smoke make a consistant effort to do so.
Stop treating smokers like children.
Make sure the taxes collected from their habits pay for any treatment down the line - or don't allow tobacco to be sold here.
But stop trying to have it both ways.
Youre insulting my intelligence!
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