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I know not all smokers are rude. I am an ex-smoker. I was always aware of who was around me (ie move if there were kids etc).
smokers are becoming the minority. You can't smoke in bars/pubs here either.
I watch pictures (remember when they were called pictures?) from the '40's just so I can still enjoy everyone smoking in public. Ah, the golden days of yesteryear.
There was a report on the radio saying that from 2012 on in Australia cigarette makers are only allowed to sell their stuff in standardized brand-independent packages, no more logos such as camels, or slogans allowed. Instead those packages will be plastered with health warnings. The price per package will also be increased drastically by almost $3. All advertising for cigarettes will be prohibited. The goal is to destroy the image of smoking as a cool habit and thus its attractiveness especially with teenagers.
Will those measures achieve the goal of reducing the number of smokers in Australia by 1/3? Can those measures be copied in other countries where there are more powerful tobacco lobbies and big cigarette makers, e.g. in the US or in Germany?
I remember a country that decided to outlaw something that had been previously allowed in an attempt to change social behaviors of it's citizens. Didn't work out very well if I recall correctly.
Does the terms 18th and 21st Amendment ring any bells?
I don't know much about Australia, but I always thought of it as a fairly free country. I suppose that they can do whatever they want to do, but if I lived there, I'd be moving.
It is a free country
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozgal
ha ha you'd move for this?!
well smoking isn't illegal... it's discouraged.
My personal freedom is being upheld.. I now eat meals and can have a drink without having smoke invade my personal space.
Exactly. It's not being made illegal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tymberwulf
I remember a country that decided to outlaw something that had been previously allowed in an attempt to change social behaviors of it's citizens. Didn't work out very well if I recall correctly.
Does the terms 18th and 21st Amendment ring any bells?
Geez, being kinda touchy, aren't we? I didn't realize Aussies were quite so, um, "sensitive" about all that!
Although supporting less rights, that's interesting, and no doubt there are alot of countries that would agree with you (like China, Iran, Libya, North Korea...)!
Why not quit beating around the bush and just outlaw tobacco?
Sure, they would have to find a source of revenue to replace the taxes, but surely they could find something that EVERYBODY uses (restaurant food is often unhealthy, put a 10% tax on all prepared food) to tax so they woulod make even more money.
EITHER OUTLAW THE JUNK, OR SHUT UP ABOUT IT!
You'll create the same situation you have with other illegal drugs, a black market and all the things that go along with it like crime. Do you really want millions of people who are addicted to something that's been likened to the addictive nature of heroin and cocaine not being able to get their fix?
I wouldn't be surprised if there was a burgeoning black market now, you can make a pack of cigarettes for $1 in about 10 minutes compared to prices starting around $5 for generic brands.
Geez, being kinda touchy, aren't we? I didn't realize Aussies were quite so, um, "sensitive" about all that!
Although supporting less rights, that's interesting, and no doubt there are alot of countries that would agree with you (like China, Iran, Libya, North Korea...)!
burglaries (per capita)
# 1 australia: 21.7454 per 1,000 people
# 2 dominica: 18.7892 per 1,000 people
# 3 denmark: 18.3299 per 1,000 people
# 4 estonia: 17.4576 per 1,000 people
# 5 finland: 16.7697 per 1,000 people
# 6 new zealand: 16.2763 per 1,000 people
# 7 united kingdom: 13.8321 per 1,000 people
# 8 poland: 9.46071 per 1,000 people
# 9 canada: 8.94425 per 1,000 people
# 10 south africa: 8.89764 per 1,000 people
# 17 united states: 7.09996 per 1,000 people
car thefts (per capita)
# 1 australia: 6.92354 per 1,000 people
# 2 denmark: 5.92839 per 1,000 people
# 3 united kingdom: 5.6054 per 1,000 people
# 4 new zealand: 5.45031 per 1,000 people
# 5 norway: 5.08143 per 1,000 people
# 6 france: 4.9713 per 1,000 people
# 7 canada: 4.88547 per 1,000 people
# 8 italy: 4.19755 per 1,000 people
# 9 united states: 3.8795 per 1,000 people
# 10 ireland: 3.69796 per 1,000 people
FYI, a lot of the gun violence in this country is between criminals. Call it natural selection.
I watch pictures (remember when they were called pictures?) from the '40's just so I can still enjoy everyone smoking in public. Ah, the golden days of yesteryear.
ah those were the days
Stats relevant to this topic:
In 1989, 28% of the population smoke in Australia. Today it is 18%. Still high, however the % of adult smokers in Australia has declined every year.
FYI, a lot of the gun violence in this country is between criminals. Call it natural selection.
Ok. I concede on that point.
I still have no objection to increasing taxes on tobacco in order to a) increase revenue , some or all of which will go to the health system upon which smokers are a large consumer base and b) to decrease the percentage of people smoking, which will decrease the burden on the health system.
If people in the US object, then don't move to australia, but also, don't say we have less rights or less freedoms akin to North Korea because we are raising taxes on cigarettes. It is a voluntary tax, just like lottery and speeding tickets. There is also plenty of government funded support to help people quit smoking, including subsidising expensive medication such as Champix.
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Not when tax-payers have to pay for their medical care when they get lung caner or COPD or CHD because of their smoking.
