[Redway]

An Irish government minister has revealed his father and brother died from smoking-related illness as the country becomes only the second to clamp down on tobacco marketing.

Ireland will force tobacco manufacturers to use plain boxes emblazoned with graphic images under tough new laws first enforced in Australia.

Dr James Reilly, the health minister and a GP, said the initiative will stop big cigarette companies from using marketing tactics like packet size, colour and style to attract young smokers, particularly girls.

Read the full article at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...#ixzz2UgUZm81T

[Smithy]

If someone's attracted to smoking because of the packet they're retarded

[Niamh.]

The Irish government don't really want cigarette sales to plummet though, not with all that revenue they make off them

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Smithy

If someone's attracted to smoking because of the packet they're retarded

Exactly. It's a stupid token gesture for something they don't even want to work imo

[Cherie]

Completely off topic, I hope you have registered for your property tax Niamh :

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Completely off topic, I hope you have registered for your property tax Niamh :

I did actually as much as it pains me, dirty bastards addressed that letter to me as well rather than Gav or both of us

[Vicky.]

Stupid..people dont buy ciggies because of the pretty packets

If they were actually serious about being bothered about peoples health, they would just stop selling tobacco tbh. But that will never happen because they make too much money.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I did actually as much as it pains me, dirty bastards addressed that letter to me as well rather than Gav or both of us

There is no escape, I don't know why people have not registered as they are going to deduct it from pay or benefit so it seems pretty pointless not paying up. This type of tax should have been introduced when the country was booming, its a right kick in the teeth to introduce it now when there are no jobs.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Smithy

If someone's attracted to smoking because of the packet they're retarded

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Exactly. It's a stupid token gesture for something they don't even want to work imo

Absolutely. I tend to buy Windsor Blue and Lambert and Butler but that's not because of how the packet looks LOL. This and hiding them behind shutters are probably going to make smoking look more attractive in kids, wanting to know what's behind the 'mysterious shutters'. It's a poorly thought-out joke.

[Vicky.]

If the photos of people with tumours growing out of their necks and such havent put people off..how on earth will a plain packet do it?

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

If the photos of people with tumours growing out of their necks and such havent put people off..how on earth will a plain packet do it?

Most of those are vastly exaggerated anyway. I daresay smoking 3 a day won't cause that amount of damage.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

There is no escape, I don't know why people have not registered as they are going to deduct it from pay or benefit so it seems pretty pointless not paying up. This type of tax should have been introduced when the country was booming, its a right kick in the teeth to introduce it now when there are no jobs.

Too right but it's typical of them, when the place was booming they wanted to look like the good guys, giving out money in that savings scheme etc etc instead of thinking ahead (and lets face it they were paying themselves more than enough for us to expect them to be planning for a rainy day) Then when the bottom falls out, they're taxing us on anything they possibly can to try and make it all back again.

[arista]

Scotland will be next.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

If the photos of people with tumours growing out of their necks and such havent put people off..how on earth will a plain packet do it?

There are people with those kind of tumors that have never smoked a single cigarette in their life. It was always a pack of lies using those pics to begin with.

It's like showing people pictures of Sexually transmitted diseases and thinking no one will ever have unprotected sex. The extremist language and imagery they use never works, because it's just seen as silly and unrealistic.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by lostalex

There are people with those kind of tumors that have never smoked a single cigarette in their life. It was always a pack of lies using those pics to begin with.

It's like showing people pictures of Sexually transmitted diseases and thinking no one will ever have unprotected sex. The extremist language and imagery they use never works, because it's just seen as silly and unrealistic.

Absolutely and well said.

[Kizzy]

What harm can it do to implement these changes? If it deters 1 or 2 it will be worth it, and there is nothing silly or unrealistic about it.
There will always be those who help and advise and there will be those who do what they want, that is their choice.

[Ramsay]

I think keeping the pictures of dead babies and messed up lungs will stop more people than a plain packet would

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Karl

I think keeping the pictures of dead babies and messed up lungs will stop more people than a plain packet would

''Ireland will force tobacco manufacturers to use plain boxes emblazoned with graphic images under tough new laws first enforced in Australia.''

[Ramsay]

Ohh right then, thought it was just gonna be a white plain box

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

If the photos of people with tumours growing out of their necks and such havent put people off..how on earth will a plain packet do it?

They're not plain packets, they have graphic images on them.

By plain, they mean no branding marks/logos or anything. People can talk about "I don't buy fags for the pretty packets" but those types of advertising do have an effect in some way so cutting it out is only a good thing.

[Vicky.]

As I said earlier, if they actually cared about peoples health, they would stop selling them all together. This is just a way to appear like they care while still grabbing onto the huge profits they make from tobacco products.

I dont see the point in plain packets(with images on them...) while all ciggies have to be covered up now anyway. They hardly catch your eye when you walk in a shop.

[Kizzy]

The fact that they are hugely addictive is probably as big a reason too, there would be carnage haha.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

As I said earlier, if they actually cared about peoples health, they would stop selling them all together. This is just a way to appear like they care while still grabbing onto the huge profits they make from tobacco products.

I dont see the point in plain packets(with images on them...) while all ciggies have to be covered up now anyway. They hardly catch your eye when you walk in a shop.

I don't think banning them is the answer. Can you imagine the riots, or the increase in "illegal" sales of them.

[ThisIsNickkk]

The government make far too much money on the back of cigarette sales, so as much as they seemingly want to do good... They'd be screwed if people just stopped smoking.

I don't know what the packets are currently like in Ireland, I'm presuming they will be the same as they are in the UK, in the way that they have small pictures on the back and front of a deceased lung or something to do with impotence.

I don't think the design of the box really will deter smokers. I think if "graphic images" were going to stop people, the smaller images would have done so by now.

The whole thing with some shops having cigarettes locked behind a shutter as well is ridiculous... If someone if going to smoke, they're going to smoke. Just because they can't see them in a shop doesn't mean it is going to deter them.

[Kizzy]

There must be some evidence to support this decision, A slight drop in sales?
Like you say this is big business and although it creates money it also costs money.