Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Anything that will discourage smoking is good. I think a pack of cigs should be $5 or more and smokers should be shown as the uncool drug addicted slobs they are. I would never hire one if I ran a business. And the TV should show people with end stage lung cancer laying in their own vomit racked with pain unable to breathe or talk.
I agree with you completly. Smokers are pathetic drug addicts of the lowest order, with no redeeming mereit of their own.
Location: On the "Left Coast", somewhere in "the Land of Fruits & Nuts"
8,852 posts, read 10,455,696 times
Reputation: 6670
Alot of folks are often surprised to find that Australia doesn't guarantee all the same "freedoms" as the U.S., or even the U.K. and Canada. Australia is one of literally a handful of states that does not have a legal instrument (either a constitutional or statutory bill of rights) asserting the range and scope of its citizens' freedoms, including freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
I'm against banning tobacco or making it illegal, but I see no reason to market it as something you should do.
Right, just like alcohol.
I met 7 of 8 great-grandparents (one died in a car accident). They were all part of my life until after I was graduated. They all smoked, they all died in their mid-90s even though the average life span is mid-70s and none had cancer and none were in a nursing home. In fact, two of them died in hospital because they contracted pneumonia in hospital after under-going routine operations not related to cancer of any kind.
My grandfather who smoked died at 87 of pancreatic cancer, not related to smoking and his wife (my grandmother) is now 98.
So, second-hand smoke does what, exactly? I mean they were married at 16 and 17 respectively, and she smoked for a while.
The studies are biased and heavily flawed. Lung cancer is quite common and the studies make a number of false assumptions. Many people smoke and never get cancer of any kind or any other lung diseases, so the claim that "Smoking Causes Cancer" is patently false. At most you can conclude that smoking causes cancer in some people, but the studies do not take into consideration that those people would have died of cancer whether they smoked or not.
We should be discussing the cost to employers of "Monday Morning Absenteeism" related to alcohol, which costs $Billions annually and which you the consumer pay for in the end. And the cost of police intervention in domestic disputes, violence in the home and abused children and the medical, insurance and societal costs of fatalities, injuries and property damage related to alcohol, diseases related to alcohol, both directly or indirectly (like STDs).
Of course, it would be too logical to discuss that.
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?
advertisments for smoking have been banned for a number of years in Australia ... I think since the mid 1990's ...
the health warnings have been on for a number of years too... around 10 years, with warning such as "smoking harms your unborn baby" "smoking gives you cancer" .... there are even graphic images of gangrene, and blocked arteries...
but yes, there is a push to remove brand logos from the packets.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KevK
Anything that will discourage smoking is good. I think a pack of cigs should be $5 or more and smokers should be shown as the uncool drug addicted slobs they are. I would never hire one if I ran a business. And the TV should show people with end stage lung cancer laying in their own vomit racked with pain unable to breathe or talk.
I haven't smoked for nearly 8 years, but back then a packet of cigarettes was aroung $8 ... I believe a packet of cigarettes in Australia is around $11 now... and the govt just slapped another tax on it, which will add around $2 per packet ...
(restaurant food is often unhealthy, put a 10% tax on all prepared food)
maybe in Montana its often unhealthy, but Australia has restaurants other than fast-food which are quite healthy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MasterOfPuppets
How about just let people decide for themselves if they want to smoke or not??
Not when tax-payers have to pay for their medical care when they get lung caner or COPD or CHD because of their smoking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mateo45
Alot of folks are often surprised to find that Australia doesn't guarantee all the same "freedoms" as the U.S., or even the U.K. and Canada. Australia is one of literally a handful of states that does not have a legal instrument (either a constitutional or statutory bill of rights) asserting the range and scope of its citizens' freedoms, including freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
Don't worry- Australia is in fact quite free despite a lack of a bill of rights. Don't move here if it upsets you.
I am an ex-smoker I quit on Dec 7 2009. I tried the e-cigarette thing, nope it did not work. I used the patch, 10 weeks and support. Also if you want to quit you will, no excuse in the world will let you lite up again. I bought a treadmill and everytime I wanted one I hopped on. I know you work 2 jobs oh and sunflower seeds helped LOTS. Go for it.
I guess different things work for different people. I guess I have to find what will work for me. I heard something about sunflower seeds. You're right, I have to want to quit. Guess, I won't eat, have sex, have a beer or my morning coffee, and I'll be good to go. LOL! J/K[/quote]
Thats what I needed. A great laugh for the day!!!
You will have your day...it took me almost 3 years to totally quit.
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?
Personally I think it is very sad. 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.
No, I am not a smoker, but I believe in personal freedoms. I am sorry to see this happen.
I am an ex-smoker I quit on Dec 7 2009. I tried the e-cigarette thing, nope it did not work. I used the patch, 10 weeks and support. Also if you want to quit you will, no excuse in the world will let you lite up again. I bought a treadmill and everytime I wanted one I hopped on. I know you work 2 jobs oh and sunflower seeds helped LOTS. Go for it.
May as well quit because slowly but surely they're trying to outlaw cigarettes or tax us all to death who smoke.
Chantix works. Just make sure you're not kind of cookoo because some people claim it makes you commit suicide, kill people, defenseless animals, plants, etc. But it does work.
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!
Redraven !!! ... On The Mark !
I couldn't agree more ! As long as we have laws in place which allow folks to legally buy, possess, and use tobacoo products at 18 years of age ..... then those products are without a doubt going to be used by some of those folks !!!
It's well beyond the time to "STOP" the extremely degrading "Stereo-Typing" of those folks who choose to legally exercise their right to smoke if they want too !!!
Keep up the perpetual whining and I'm sure the government will eventually take away another of the people rights and of course that will be the end of the story ! Until that time comes the best advice to the whiners is contained in Redraven's above post ..... "Shut Up About It" !!! Damn Good Advice It Is !
What's better than 18 holes of golf on a warm, sunny Spring Day and a couple of those long, great smelling Pro Shop Cigars and of course some cold beer ! It just don't get any better than this !!!
Thanks / Old Sgt. Lamar
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Not when tax-payers have to pay for their medical care when they get lung caner or COPD or CHD because of their smoking.
Go for it.
J/K[/quote]
Damn Good Advice It Is !