Pssst!... (part II)

June 2nd, 2008 |

I read that a 12-week national debate starts today, instigated by the UK Department of Health, entitled ‘The Future of Tobacco Control’. PDF

In these proposals are the usual steps towards cutting down on smoking but also:

The banning of cigarette machines so that kids won’t use them - suggestion: make them credit card only - you have to be over 18 to get one. Simple solution and you don’t send to the wall companies who provide this service. Out of the UK population there are c.16m people who smoke; c.350000 of these are kids (under 16); 17% of these buy from vending machines - my maths (non too hot :) ) says that this is 20500. Where’s the problem when twice this many nick them from parents/adults/friends and 78% just buy them from a shop? (just as a side note there are more kids injured/killed on the nations roads than buy cigs from vending machines - lets ban cars… )

Banning the advertising of cigarette papers and other smoking paraphernalia - Paraphernalia? What… Matches… Butane gas?

And finally, at least here, the denuding of all cigarette packaging of colour and logos. Which HMG bright-spark came up with that one? Plain white packets with a giant health warning on it and in ten point Helvetica the brand name? Perhaps it was the HM Customs dept: “How do we cut down on black market ciggies, guys?” a hand is raised: “Lets not have colour and logos on UK packs?” Fax is sent.

Coming next: All processed foods, margarines, butter, cream, most cheeses, fatty meat, sugar and sugary foods - like cakes and biscuits, food containing additives and colourings, salty foods and fast food and takeaways to display massive health warnings and be sold in plain brown wrapping with just the contents displayed?

… did I mention alcohol..?

(edited)

Sorry, comments are closed for this article.