Graphic new warnings for cigarette packages

ronaneire

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0201/365592-graphic-new-warnings-for-cigarette-packages/

From today, all cigarette packets produced for the Irish market will carry graphic photographs with a strong health warning.
The images depict the negative health impacts associated with smoking.
The warnings follow other legislative measures to tackle smoking in recent years, including the ban on the display and advertising of tobacco products in shops.
Minister for Health James Reilly said he hopes the pictures will shock smokers into quitting and prevent young people from taking up the habit.






[Removed Image]

The Minister sure looks excited!

SmilingLurker

Hope it works, but I doubt it.

RossFixxxed

I heard on the radio that many studies showed that this was effective... I was under the impression that anti SMOKing ads don't stop SMOKErs from SMOKING at all and if anything increase the urge to SMOKE as all it does is put the idea of SMOKE in your smoke smoke.

Is there any evidence as to the validity of this idea? Or are they blowing smoke up my smoke.


ARE YOU SMOKING YET?

Dravokivich

I think it's crazy myself. Educated choice is what it's down to. Everyone's already been told what it can do. All forms of advertising have been removed. You cant even show the damn things on the shelves.

From what I saw, this is targeted towards putting kids off cigarettes, why don't they just start fining shops that sell'em to kids? The govenement would make a fúck tonne of money off that, instead of chasing some crazy shít like this.

Death and Taxes

Someone will make a fortune selling cigeratte pack holders with "Smoking makes me happy" on them!:D

CardBordWindow

My missus is a smoker, and when we were on holidays in Oz, where these graphic warnings are already in place, she smoked much less as she hated looking at the boxes.
It won't effect a lot of people, but if it helps some people cut down, I'm all for it.

kneemos

I can't look at that ad with the cigerette tumor and I don't even smoke anymore.

spoonfed

Why does the government not make all tobacco products illegal if they are so harmful?

BluesBerry

im just going to buy a nice sparkly cigarette holder

Government can put that in their pipe and smoke it!

BluesBerry

spoonfed wrote: »

Why does the government not make all tobacco products illegal if they are so harmful?

because the make a fortune of them

RossFixxxed

spoonfed wrote: »

Why does the government not make all tobacco products illegal if they are so harmful?

Money I would imagine. 9.30 for a pack of cigarettes is a LOT of tax. And it is highly addictive. Addictive Tax!

It makes a lot of the 'helping people quit' seem very hypocritical.

mightdomighty

Dravokivich wrote: »

I think it's crazy myself. Educated choice is what it's down to. Everyone's already been told what it can do.

Just because people have been told what it can do doesn't mean they make an educated choice.

Dravokivich wrote: »

why don't they just start fining shops that sell'em to kids? The govenement would make a fúck tonne of money off that, instead of chasing some crazy shít like this.

This is already in place but I would imagine it's difficult to enforce and is hardly effective.

I don't see anything wrong with tackling it from multiple angles.

Mr Simpson

Will they ever fcuk off. I'm perfectly aware off the dangers of smoking, but its my choice, and I enjoy cigarettes. The pictures won't put me off anything but my dinner

Dtp79

spoonfed wrote: »

Why does the government not make all tobacco products illegal if they are so harmful?

Cause they make too much on the tax from them

Banjo String

they should start showing graphic porn images on them.

hands be too busy to smoke then.

Czarcasm

It'll really depend on your sensitivity to graphic imagery. After a while you'll become accustomed to the black lungs, the grey brains, the clapped out heart, etc.

If they REALLY wanted to shock people into quitting, never mind the graphic imagery nonsense, just print the price of them in nice big lettering on the front. Then it'll be hard to miss you're paying the guts of €10 a pack, every time you look at the pack, at least 20 times!

Sometimes I do indeed feel like a right tit that I'm paying €10 a pack for the damn things, but I'm well aware of the down sides and for me cigarettes are a luxury I still happen to enjoy and shall continue to do so for the foreseeable.

The only thing that might change that point of view is from a price perspective. The health risks associated with smoking do not bother me as much as the guaranteed financial losses due to ever increasing prices.

smash

ronaneire wrote: »

Minister for Health James Reilly said he hopes the pictures will shock smokers into quitting and prevent young people from taking up the habit.

If they were really that worried then they'd have put the price up more in the budget.

KTRIC

Set a minimum price to €10 and then put the price up by €1 every year without fail. Also set a mandatory minimum jail sentence for anyone caught distributing illegally imported cigarettes. This'll eventually put a stop to the whole thing.

FloatingVoter

KTRIC wrote: »

Set a minimum price to €10 and then put the price up by €1 every year without fail. Also set a mandatory minimum jail sentence for anyone caught distributing illegally imported cigarettes. This'll eventually put a stop to the whole thing.

Yeah, tough jail sentences helped win the War on Drugs. Personally, I like the droopy cigarette - reminds me of my own little man.

kneemos

MarkMc wrote: »

Will they ever fcuk off. I'm perfectly aware off the dangers of smoking, but its my choice, and I enjoy cigarettes. The pictures won't put me off anything but my dinner

The "enjoyment"comes from topping up the addictive chemicals and feeding the habit of having a cigerette in your hand.

Mr Simpson

kneemos wrote: »

The "enjoyment"comes from topping up the addictive chemicals and feeding the habit of having a cigerette in your hand.

yeah thanks for that, I'm perfectly aware of that. Some people enjoy having a pint, me, I prefer having a cigarette, thats my fcuking choice.

Meangadh

I suppose it saves even a small number of lives it'll be worth it. I think the HSE could do way more though in terms of education in schools, raising awareness of the implications of smoking.

I've been teaching 9 years and no one has ever come to speak to students about how bad smoking is. Of course teachers warn them, but firstly we're not experts in that area, and also the students are far more receptive listening to a stranger when it comes to receiving information like that.

Just makes way more sense to stop the problem before it begins when people are young. All I know is that I am so grateful I never began smoking, so I never had to deal with trying to quit. Getting people to never start is the answer, and whilst you won't stop them all, at least awareness at a young age is a step forward.

Ush1

I just think it's a bit silly. People know smoking is bad for them and if the government was that concerned, ban them!

Na na, too much money to be made taxing them.

Czarcasm

KTRIC wrote: »

Set a minimum price to €10 and then put the price up by €1 every year without fail.

The only thing about that is, that you'll increase the chances of people turning to illegally imported cigarettes, and honestly at half the price, they are an extremely attractive option.

Now the other thing I'm seeing a lot lately is your average person themselves flying over to countries like Poland and Spain and picking up a stock of cigarettes for half the price they pay here, and still they've made savings, even with the flights included!

Also set a mandatory minimum jail sentence for anyone caught distributing illegally imported cigarettes. This'll eventually put a stop to the whole thing.

It wouldn't really. As long as there's a nice bit of money to be made in the illegal cigarette trade, these illegal importers will continue to take the risks they do. None of them do it with the intention of getting caught, and like garlic guy, there's only so much of a mandatory sentence you can impose before they're out and at it again.

spoonfed

BluesBerry wrote: »

because the make a fortune of them

Exactly, they're all just a bunch of selfish, hypocritical cunt5. They can go to fu.ck with their silly little photos. I've seen much worse in my first 5 minutes on the internet. CUNT5

smash

spoonfed wrote: »

Exactly, they're all just a bunch of selfish, hypocritical cunt5. They can go to fu.ck with their silly little photos. I've seen much worse in my first 5 minutes on the internet. CUNT5

You're an angry little man aren't you!

Czarcasm

spoonfed wrote: »

Exactly, they're all just a bunch of selfish, hypocritical cunt5. They can go to fu.ck with their silly little photos. I've seen much worse in my first 5 minutes on the internet. CUNT5

spoonfed we're talking about tobacco now, I think when you start answering yourself you're on about a whole other wacky tobacco altogether!

kneemos

MarkMc wrote: »

yeah thanks for that, I'm perfectly aware of that. Some people enjoy having a pint, me, I prefer having a cigarette, thats my fcuking choice.

Nobody's chasing you bud,steady.

pickarooney

Czarcasm wrote: »

It'll really depend on your sensitivity to graphic imagery. After a while you'll become accustomed to the black lungs, the grey brains, the clapped out heart, etc.

If they REALLY wanted to shock people into quitting, never mind the graphic imagery nonsense, just print the price of them in nice big lettering on the front. Then it'll be hard to miss you're paying the guts of €10 a pack, every time you look at the pack, at least 20 times!

Sometimes I do indeed feel like a right tit that I'm paying €10 a pack for the damn things, but I'm well aware of the down sides and for me cigarettes are a luxury I still happen to enjoy and shall continue to do so for the foreseeable.

The only thing that might change that point of view is from a price perspective. The health risks associated with smoking do not bother me as much as the guaranteed financial losses due to ever increasing prices.

They should print pictures of the stuff you could buy with the money you're wasting on cigarettes.

conorhal

There has been a lot of talk about bullying amongst politicians lately, well plainly put this is nothing less then bullying. If the aim was informational, well the warning is on the pack, and I can read and thusly I’m informed.
These images typify the arrogance and contempt of those in power that feel that they are entitled to take 80% of the price of a packet of cigarettes and then kick you in the face and shout SMOKER!
I for one am sick of this nanny state government crawling through my pocket, my cupboards and my personal life. Ask yourself, where should or will this end?
Should every can of beer have a picture of a necrotic liver or the smashed face or a car crash victim on it?
Should every chocolate bar and Big Mac container feature a graphic picture of a fat oozing coronary artery or a picture of an obese diabetic amputee?
Will we see such images on the bottle of Bollinger that fat fvck O’ Reilly enjoys? I doubt it, you can bully and belittle smokers because they are predominantly working class, but middle class alcoholics packing away a couple of bottles of fine wine every night simply wouldn’t stand for it.

Crimson King

MarkMc wrote: »

Will they ever fcuk off. I'm perfectly aware off the dangers of smoking, but its my choice, and I enjoy cigarettes. The pictures won't put me off anything but my dinner

Don't really understand this argument. Its your choice so continue to choose smoking by all means. Some people will be put off though and that can only be a good thing???

the_syco

RossFixxxed wrote: »

ARE YOU SMOKING YET?

This post is a ****!

spoonfed wrote: »

Why does the government not make all tobacco products illegal if they are so harmful?

They'd lose the tax, and the black market would thrive.

KTRIC wrote: »

Set a minimum price to €10 and then put the price up by €1 every year without fail. Also set a mandatory minimum jail sentence for anyone caught distributing illegally imported cigarettes. This'll eventually put a stop to the whole thing.

Last time I checked pipe bombing each other, murdering each other, and importing drugs was also illegal, but jail sentences aren't preventing it much.

pickarooney wrote: »

They should print pictures of the stuff you could buy with the money you're wasting on cigarettes.

This is actually a good idea.

conorhal wrote: »

Should every can of beer have a picture of a necrotic liver or the smashed face or a car crash victim on it?

Car crash wine? I like this idea! But I dislike the way you write the post in black.

Roger_007

If the gov believe that cigs are so dangerous why are allowed to be legally sold. There is a loy of hypocrisy going on here. We all remember the ban on magic mushrooms after one person had reportedly died after eating them. We are being told that cigs cause 6000 deaths per annulment yet you can buy as many as you like. Either ban cigs or stop rabbiting on about them.

conorhal

Crimson King wrote: »

Don't really understand this argument. Its your choice so continue to choose smoking by all means. Some people will be put off though and that can only be a good thing???

Do you like a tipple? Should every beer mat that you rest your glass on have a picture of a diseased liver or a car crash victim? After all, if it encourages you to drink in moderation, surely it's a good thing?

AS far as I'm concerned the petty facisists can eiter ban cigarettes or back off.

Dempsey

spoonfed wrote: »

Why does the government not make all tobacco products illegal if they are so harmful?

Gangs would then supply cigarettes to Ireland

You'd be stopping a tax income that goes to the HSE who still will have to deal with increased smoking related illnesses because quality control would no longer be included in cigarette manufacturing and more harmful chemicals will contaminate them. Not to mention the burden it would place on an already underfunded police force trying to deal with the gang related crimes involving illegal cigarettes.

Czarcasm

conorhal wrote: »

There has been a lot of talk about bullying amongst politicians lately, well plainly put this is nothing less then bullying. If the aim was informational, well the warning is on the pack, and I can read and thusly I’m informed.
These images typify the arrogance and contempt of those in power that feel that they are entitled to take 80% of the price of a packet of cigarettes and then kick you in the face and shout SMOKER!
I for one am sick of this nanny state government crawling through my pocket, my cupboards and my personal life. Ask yourself, where should or will this end?
Should every can of beer have a picture of a necrotic liver or the smashed face or a car crash victim on it?
Should every chocolate bar and Big Mac container feature a graphic picture of a fat oozing coronary artery or a picture of an obese diabetic amputee?
Will we see such images on the bottle of Bollinger that fat fvck O’ Reilly enjoys? I doubt it, you can bully and belittle smokers because they are predominantly working class, but middle class alcoholics packing away a couple of bottles of fine wine every night simply wouldn’t stand for it.

Ah stop it with this nonsense would you. Middle class and upper class people work too, so this idea of working class? Unless you mean to say lower class, but just don't like the term.

Smoking is a choice. People no matter what class they are, are not forced to smoke. If they cannot afford to smoke, then that should be their loss.

Stop this making excuses for them and blaming the government nonsense. People are very much aware of how much VAT and so forth goes to the government in taxes, yet they still choose to smoke, and while they do so, they continue to pay the price, financially speaking as well as from the point of view of their health.

And who picks up the tab when lower income smokers get smoking related diseases and conditions? Here's a clue- most lower income smokers are entitled to medical cards, so it won't be they who will sick up the tab. It'll be the government paying for 100% of their treatment, from the 80% tax they've paid on cigarettes.


TL:DR - I'd keep shtum if I was a smoker on a low income.

whatdoicare

My mam has a wardrobe full, FULL, of these packages of cigarettes from Spain with photos of dead babies, black puss filled hearts, rotten lungs and more and it hasn't stopped her at all! She doesn't take a blind bit of notice. She used to puff away through those adverts that were on before with the surgeon pushing that goo out of a rotten heart.

She is actually perplexed that I don't want her smoking around me (I'm pregnant) and my sister doesn't want her smoking around her 7 month old. I mean,she is really confused by it all!

Sad thing about it all is that all her friends both young and old are the same and they're backing each other up. ****ing idiots.

So, long story short, it won't make a bit of difference to smokers,itll just scare those who don't smoke but are subjected to this nasty habit.

Anyone

I hope the same people harping on about smoking take the same point of view when obesity overtakes smoking as the biggest cause of preventable death.

As for these images, if a smoker wants to smoke, they will smoke. Simple as. I have been using a ecig for the last 4 months. I chose not to smoke. I made the decision, and it wasnt any way related other peoples views or the measures the Gov have taken.

conorhal

Czarcasm wrote: »

Ah stop it with this nonsense would you. Middle class and upper class people work too, so this idea of working class? Unless you mean to say lower class, but just don't like the term.

Smoking is a choice. People no matter what class they are, are not forced to smoke. If they cannot afford to smoke, then that should be their loss.

Stop this making excuses for them and blaming the government nonsense. People are very much aware of how much VAT and so forth goes to the government in taxes, yet they still choose to smoke, and while they do so, they continue to pay the price, financially speaking as well as from the point of view of their health.

And who picks up the tab when lower income smokers get smoking related diseases and conditions? Here's a clue- most lower income smokers are entitled to medical cards, so it won't be they who will sick up the tab. It'll be the government paying for 100% of their treatment, from the 80% tax they've paid on cigarettes.


TL:DR - I'd keep shtum if I was a smoker on a low income.

Well I'm a smoker on a high income. With my VHI.
As for smokers on a low income, they are paying 7 euro in VAT on every pack so they're paying up too.
I was pointing out that is seems to be acceptable to do this to one group, but not another and wondering if class was an issue (irrespective of income.)
Yes, smoking is a choice. Which of your choices do you think should entitle me to subject you to the same level of harrasment? You must have made a poor choice or two at some point.

Sinfonia

"Gentlemen. It's called education. It doesn't come off the side of a cigarette carton. It comes from our teachers, and more importantly, our parents. It is the job of every parent to warn their children of all the dangers of the world including cigarettes so that one day when they get older, they can choose for themselves."
- Nick Naylor, Thank You For Smoking

tommyombomb

all this talk of cigerettes, think i need to go for a smoke. i'll take those one in two smokers die younger odds at the moment.

Feeling lucky Punk:pac:

spoonfed

the_syco wrote: »

They'd lose the tax, and the black market would thrive.

.

Don't you think this happens anyway with the price of tobacco products increasing, especially in todays economic climate?

Plazaman

I think they should put a picture of O'Reilly's mug on the cigarettes. That'd scare the shít outta people.

Will we ever have a healthy looking Minister for Health?

davet82

as i quit 3 weeks ago i think this is a great fcukin idea


if the governement/eu wanted to get really serious about this, they would reduce the amount of nicotine per mg per ciggarette year on year for the next 20 to wean people off them until ciggerattes are still legal but nicotine isn't

Ishmael

Personally, i think it would be far more productive to print tips and advice on how to quit smoking rather than these graphic images.

Sinfonia

davet82 wrote: »

if the governement/eu wanted to get really serious about this, they would reduce the amount of nicotine per mg per ciggarette year on year for the next 20 to wean people off them until ciggerattes are still legal but nicotine isn't

I don't think that really makes a difference to chemical addiction.
If you had only a smidge of heroin every day, you'd still be addicted to heroin.

My name is URL

Why are smokers always the ones singled out? They should start putting pictures of obese people with severe medical conditions on the packets of processed foods too while their at it. Over 65% of Irish adults are overweight or obese, and most of those will develop health problems as a result. Over the next 15 years the number of people effected by diabetes is going to treble.

Anyone

My name is URL wrote: »

Why are smokers always the ones singled out? They should start putting pictures of obese people with severe medical conditions on the packets of processed foods too while their at it. Over 65% of Irish adults are overweight or obese, and most of those will develop health problems as a result. Over the next 15 years the number of people effected by diabetes is going to treble.

You cant even harrass and abuse these people like smokers are because its not socially acceptable.

davet82

Sinfonia wrote: »

I don't think that really makes a difference to chemical addiction.
If you had only a smidge of heroin every day, you'd still be addicted to heroin.

would it not be easier to quit with less in your system and also for future smokers with less nicotine in them?

gobnaitolunacy

My name is URL wrote: »

Why are smokers always the ones singled out? .

Because smokers are worse than Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot put together, obese people are nice and jolly.

davet82

My name is URL wrote: »

Why are smokers always the ones singled out? They should start putting pictures of obese people with severe medical conditions on the packets of processed foods too while their at it. Over 65% of Irish adults are overweight or obese, and most of those will develop health problems as a result. Over the next 15 years the number of people effected by diabetes is going to treble.

i think you are choosing a bad example, you should have went with alcohol and pictures of down and outs on vodka bottles and a big black poo on the side of guinness cans