FOREST online petition against EU tobacco restrictions

[OwlHoot]

Addiction. You might choose to smoke, but to give up isn't as easy.

Lots of people are addicted to lots of things, such as alcohol. Why is that different?

[darmstadt]

Mmmm, fags. Just had a nice relaxing one in the snow

[GreenLabel]

Addiction. You might choose to smoke, but to give up isn't as easy.

True, however the consumer is informed of the risk of addiction at the time of purchase. Anyone who starts smoking without being aware that it may become addictive is an idiot.

Many things are dangerous and present risks of an early death. Perhaps I know that smoking will shorten my life, I'm comfortable with that, and I choose to smoke because I enjoy it*. Why should I be penalised for my choice?



(No, I'm not a smoker, unless you count the odd cigar.)

[OwlHoot]

.. Anyone who starts smoking without being aware that it may become addictive is an idiot.

That must be what caught out kandr. Would explain why he is so anti.

[RichardCranium]

* I oppose a ban on the promotional display of tobacco products in retail stores

Since such a ban would only impact smokers-to-be, it seems like a good idea.

* I oppose the prohibition of branding logos or colours on tobacco products

So the EU want fags sold in plain white boxes. That would just make them more exciting and attractive to kids.

* I oppose the enlargement of picture warnings on packs

Who cares either way? I never saw the warnings when I was smoking 30 a day. But that awful fish-hook-through-the-cheek poster nearly had me run off the road when I saw it.

* I oppose a ban tobacco vending machines

Since they're only in pubs and bars these days, what difference would that make?

* I oppose a ban on all types of smokeless tobacco products

Why ban smokeless tobacco products?

* I support measures to educate children and adults about the health risks of smoking but I oppose unnecessarily restrictive regulations that will threaten jobs and small businesses, inconvenience millions of law-abiding consumers, and are designed to denormalise a legal product.

Well, despite being an ex-smoker, I'm inclined to agree with FOREST on the whole.

What I would like a ban on, is the gangs of people stood in shop and office and pub doorways smoking, making walking about out-of-doors unpleasant. I would rather employers were forced to provide smoking rooms.

[OwlHoot]

Well, despite being an ex-smoker, I'm inclined to agree with FOREST on the whole ..

So now's your chance to strike a blow for freedom - Why not sign the petition?

<Mel Gibson> Freedom!! </Mel Gibson>

[RichardCranium]

My solution

I've been mentioning my solution to the whole smoking thing for some years but nobody seems to think it is a good idea.

My idea:
- existing smokers must register at their GP by the deadline of 3 months from now.
- the GP will check any smoker who turns up and test the carbon monoxide levels, etc to confirm they are a genuine smoker.
- if the person is a real smoker, they get enrolled on the Tobacco Programme.
- once the 3 month deadline has been reached, NOBODY will be added to the Tobacco Programme.
- people enrolled on the Tobacco Programme specify their current fags-per-day and sign an agreement not to increase beyond that.
- Tobacco Programme people get their fags on prescription every 2 or 4 weeks but still at the current price (about £6 per 20, IIRC) + prescription charge.
- all nicotine-replacement and reduction products and smoking cessation products / education / techniques will be provided free on the NHS to anyone on the Tobacco Programme. You can either be receiving tobacco or be on the cessation scheme and can switch from one to the other as many times as is necessary to get you to stop.
- an ex-Tobacco Programme person can return to the cessation scheme at any time in the future, but will only get non-nicotine treatments.
- only special licensed outlets will be permitted to provide or import tobacco products.
- the import of ANY tobacco or nicotine product into the UK without the licence is a 10 year prison sentence.
- providing ANY tobacco or nicotine product to a person not on the Tobacco Programme without the licence is a 10 year prison sentence.
- providing ANY tobacco or nicotine product to a person who was not 16 years old on the day the 3 month deadline ended is a 20 year prison sentence.
- new prisoners will be automatically put on the cessation scheme.

So:
- existing smokers can continue smoking for the rest of their lives. Their rights are unaffected.
- the treasury continues to get their tax.
- there should be no new smokers.
- every year, the smoking population will decrease.
- those addicted to nicotine but don't want to smoke can have nicotine replacement products thereby offending nobody else.
- want to immigrate to Britain? Better not be a smoker.

I suspect smokers would also have to use special ash-trays to collect their dog-ends to hand in with their prescription; this will stop them handing out their fags and stop them dropping dog ends on the ground.

And I don't see how this would be hard to administer. It is all similar to existing rules on importing spirits, dishing out methadone and registering for Prescription Prepayment Certificates so no new technology or processes are needed.

But it would piss off the airports (duty free), ferry companies (duty free) and small newsagents.

[doodab]

So as long as it's something you agree with, you're happy for your will to be imposed on other people. What happens when it's them imposing their will upon you?

Then I will complain and sign the relevant petition and so on. And sometimes I won't get my way. This is how things seem to work.

[kandr]

True, however the consumer is informed of the risk of addiction at the time of purchase. Anyone who starts smoking without being aware that it may become addictive is an idiot.

Many things are dangerous and present risks of an early death. Perhaps I know that smoking will shorten my life, I'm comfortable with that, and I choose to smoke because I enjoy it*. Why should I be penalised for my choice?



(No, I'm not a smoker, unless you count the odd cigar.)

Your not comfortable, you are addicted.

I not comfortable having to pay your NHS bills, or any of the people that you inflict cancer on with second hand smoke.

If you smoked, which you don't.

[TykeMerc]

Your not comfortable, you are addicted.

You're (totally different word despite it sounding similar). Possibly, but it's impossible to know if a smoker is happy being a smoker. As an ex tobacco user I was pretty comfortable when I smoked.

I not comfortable having to pay your NHS bills, or any of the people that you inflict cancer on with second hand smoke.

You don't appear know that smokers pay vastly more in tax that they cost in NHS treatments, or appreciate that they die earlier saving a considerable amount in Pensions. There's very little if any plausible evidence that second hand smoking causes cancer as much of the old research has been debunked.

Incidentally there's a very large body of evidence that conventional nicotine replacement therapies have a success rate of smoking cessation less than 5%.

Various smokeless tobacco products have been banned in the past and there are official bodies in many countries (MHRA in the UK and FDA in the USA included) plus the WHO which are actively trying to ban others such as electronic cigarettes which is what stopped me using tobacco on the first day I got one.