Current Affairs

[Hamish Gill]

I for one like sounding of once in a while so feel free to use this thread to do so regarding current what's on in the world


Today's rant for me is on the fairly obvious topic of cigarettes
... Absolutly mad! How can they think that hiding the smokes behind the counter is ever going to stop people from smoking ...
We are in the midst of recession and they are making life more difficult for thousands of shops ... Not to mention actually trying to eat in to thier profits (although I doubt it will make an apreciable difference) ...
Can anyone think of any common sence reason why them doing this would actually effect peoples smoking habit?

 

[Paul Lange]

I think it will just make people smoke more. Kids are now going to see it as an even more dark and mysterious taboo so they will probably get hooked in greater numbers. I imagine that almost every smoker started as a kid and not that many took it up in the adulthood (20 years +). Adults who smoke are fully aware of the damage it does so telling them even more loudly and abrasively is not going to help them. People continue to smoke due to other issues that they have not really got their head round that are stopping them from dealing with quitting the habit. Being confrontational about smoking just makes smokers feel **** about it all and does absolutely nothing constructive.

How's that for a back up rant.

 

[Mark Grant]

Are you two smokers

Does not really effect me as a non smoker, but I dont see that hiding stuff from display will make much difference. If people are addicted they will find what they need.

 

[Paul Lange]

I don't smoke and never have apart from trying once many years ago when I was drunk and even then I didn't take to it. I just find all this rubbish about telling people how much smoking will kill them LOUDER than before counter-productive.

 

[Thomas brookes]

So should we hide the cakes from the cake counter to help childhood obesity? Why dosent alcohol come with a warning when it alcoholism is an ever growing problem??

Unfortunately us smokers are nothing more than an easy target and a scape goat for the government to show the general public that they are being pro active.

Since I can remember it has been banned from being advertised in f1 .Banned from advertisement altogether, public places,warnings on packaging, raising the leagal age to 18, and now this!!! Oh how wonderful this all is the anti smokers must be thinking !! Haha jokes on you, when if ever all these measures make an effect on generations to come the government will be raising taxes else where to cover the huge defacit left by a slump in sales of stupidly taxed cigeretts

Now........ I have made a life choice to smoke. The reasons for this "life choice" persicusion has evidently become hazey much like the weapons of mass destruction saga. "smoking related treatment is to heavy a burden on the nhs...... Ok so let's stop them smoking.......

But I can get really fat .....really fat!! A "life choice" in my opinion and get treated in a specially built xl bed for my "condition" yes that's ok. I can make a "life choice" and buy a stupidly fast super bike that I can't handle take it out for a spin crash it and have months of treatment and reabilitation for what is deemed as an accident!!!!!!
Anyone has the right to be treated on the nhs self inflicted or not. I for one feel if I do get smoking related desise I have bloody paid for my treatment with the amount I'm taxed!

Sorry I'm ranting but 8 billion a year in the uk is made from taxing cigeretts 80% of the cost of a premium packet of cigeretts is tax!!!!! Where is the money going to come from??

I didn't start smoking because I saw the malbaro clad f1 car whizzing around monte Carlo,

And at the age of 14 did the age restriction stop me smoking.... No

I didn't smoke because I thaught it was cool, I hid it from everyone I knew for fear of being caught.

Grousome pictures and warnings won't put anybody off buying a packet of cigerettes for one the fundamental flaw is that They have already purchased the pack so They might as well smoke them.... And two I think you will be hard pushed to find a teen that hasn't seen worse imaging on the Internet.

As paul said hiding them will make them underground and even more badass!!!!

People will smoke whatever the government does. I feel the best approach is to fully educate the younger generations and let them make the choice.... Which they will do anyway

What really annoys ..... Amongst the pretty packaging and high price tag, wrapped in paper is nicotine one of the most highly addictive drugs in our modern world!! But we are not treated like we have an addiction we are treated like we just do it for a bit of fun!!! Ahh look at those alcoholics having a laugh with there bottle of vodka a day!

To conclude my point smoking is cool and like my grandad used to say chain smoking makes you stronger son...... He died of a smoking related illness haha!! No he died of old age with a middle finger up to his doctor!

 

[Hamish Gill]

I don't smoke much these days ... I don't have an issues with it as a smoker ... I have an issue with waste of time policy kicked out of palament by politicians that are so obviously so out of touch with reality
It demonstrates a lack of understanding of basic human emotions
Kids will always rebel - as Paul says it will make them rebel more
Not to mention a lack of understanding of what addiction is and means for a person
It's policy for the sake of policy!
I'd even rather they taxed tobacco more than wasting peoples time like this!

 

[Dan Cattermole]

I smoked for 7 years from the age of 19, the day my first child was born nearly 2 years ago I knocked it all on the the head, for the sake of my family, health, and a choice that I had made in my life, not to do with the 'efforts' that the government makes in order to stubb the habbits of smokers, but entirely my own choice.

When I did smoke did I pay any attention to detail on my rollie packet??........... sorry ....that'll be a NO.

By introducing new efforts to hide cigarettes from customers will NOT have any success at all. Lets face it though.....I mean come on....during the time I smoked, was marijuana on the shelfs of tesco when I had a desire to smoke it?? Did I pass a canteen on a regular basis with a sign out side saying weed sold here??? ...... NO!! ......My point bieng, if people want to smoke, whatever it is they want to smoke, cigarettes, they will simply get it without any means of displaying it......

I must admitt though, I really couldn't afford to smoke these days anyway, disgusting how much of a hefty chunck is bieng contributed to the taxation system, and then, for them to say...... dont smoke.??? hahhaaaa!!! makes you laugh!!!

Now, what I will say as far as smoking is concerned, since the day I left school I have ALWAYS paid my national insurance and Tax which (at the time of smoking) made me feel less guilty if I did needed treatment through a self inflicted desease because I HAD paid for a backup plan for something I did through my own choice...smoke

What rubs me up the wrong way, Is that now, I pay my Tax to cover the rears of those who, A. Dont have a job and have no intention to do so because of this corrupt government supplies all their needs, and B. take the **** by smoking, accumilating medical costs (which tax payers forfit), and havent even contributed a sinlge penny into the system. I'm hoping no1 on here is one of those 'no reason' and 'idol' benefit sucking waste of timers..... coz I'm sure your not gonna be happy with me, but you know Im right.

But look, Im not saying that people are entitled to smoke because they pay their taxes, Im trying to get an understanding to how the government cant look into whats really crippling our econemy, buy resolving FACTUAL issues that already exist, and not come out with a time wasting, pathetic efforts to do something thats isn't going to work.... it will simply not work...... oh!!!... and by the way, Our Taxes go in to the salaries bucket of those F&%K!n monkeys who pull stunts and stupid ideas like this....... now isn't that a great feeling??....... Stick that in your pipe and toke it!!!!

Guys, Gals, If you wanna smoke, Smoke, if you dont then great, isn't that what freedom of choice is all about????

 

[Hamish Gill]

Dan
You mention that you gave up smoking when your kid was born and that wasn't a decision that was influenced by the government etc. but then you say one of the reasons you did it was for health.

The cigarette companies used to advertise their products saying they were healthy...
For a bit of balance to the argument it was probably with the help of the state that those "facts" were readdressed.
My point being, the fact that we know they are bad for us is down to advice given to us by the state.
Which is a good thing!
It is important that advice is given to us... To help manage spread of illness, to advise us on safe speeds to drive in built up areas, what foods to avoid when pregnant ... Generally things to help us make better choices ...

When our governing bodies and media make us aware of these things they often over egg it...
Take for example the idea that a pregnant woman should not drink any alcohol whilst pregnant...
Large qualities of alcohol in pregnant has a serious effect ... But if you ask any doctor, nurse, midwife can my missis drink during pregnancy, they will tell you the odd glass of wine will do no harm... That is as far as they can tell you proven to be ok ... There is a lot of evidence that says that the odd glass of wine will do nothing to the baby!
But, the advice from "above" is always to avoid it entirely!
Advice from above always goes over the top to apeal to the most stupid of our population...
If you say alcohol during preganany is fine in moderation then people will drink, and some will drink to much!

The problem with this policy, as I said, is that it is past that point where it is over the top advice and is well in to the territory of completely Ill conceived and daft ... An possibly counter productive

Take holland, where people can have sex from a younger age, smoke drugs legally etc etc...
A country thy says "you can do these things if you want" and let's people make their own choices ...
Less crime, less underage pregnancy etc

Give people good advice and let them make they choices them selves and they will, en the end, more often than not, make the right choice ... Just like you did when your first kid was born ... To the point that you didn't even realise it was a decision that actually you probably didnt make your self!

Start banning stuff and you end up with rebels ...
Start insisting that shops hide cigarettes behind the counter ... And all you are doing is wasting peoples time!
People are going to go into shops and this is what is going to happen

Hi, do you have b&h silver
No, sorry out of stock
Marlboro lights?
Yes
20 please
We only have them in tens
Do you have Mayfair in 20's
Yes
I'll have those
Here you go
Oh sorry I meant the light ones
Oh ok

Waste of time ...
The shops have to rearrange thier shops
Waste of time ...

And to what end ... Smokers are gonna smoke til they quit
Kids are gonna smoke because they want to!

End of ... Hiding makes no odd, and causes minor inconvenience to the shop keeper and smoker ... For no realistic gain ...


...

To be fair, typing all this I have talked my self into inderstanding what they are doing ...
It will take a more rebelious kid to want to buy cigarettes from under a counter ... There are maybe less kids that would be that rebellious ... ...
And at least they haven't banned it altogether!

It's still a stupid idea though...

 

[Thomas brookes]

Slightly off but it just goes to show how backwards things are when at 16 you are legally allowed to have sex but need to be 18 to buy and view pornographic images!!!

 

[Pete Askew]

Ah, but that is so you don't get too depressed about how sexually unappealing you are as an acne ridden, scrawny teenager compared to the models in the magazines!!