French craking down on smoking

[DrMA]

In a surprising move, the French appear to have proposed new draconian legislation aimed against smoking and smokers. Ignorant to the abject failure and complete fiasco of the Australian "plain packaging" move, they propose implementation of same.

BBC News - France to introduce plain cigarette packaging

[tin foil hat]

I'm starting to suspect there's been a subtle shift in ANTZ tactics. ANTZ are starting to realize that ecigs have caused a sensible acceleration in the decline of smoking rates worldwide, and now they're hurrying to backfill classic "quit or die" regulations so they can later point them out as the singular cause of such accelerated declines. IOW, ANTZ are manufacturing evidence after-the-fact such that they can claim for themselves the major accomplishments of vaping.

[/tin foil hat]

 

[Stosh]

It's interesting how they attribute the decrease to packaging .....

Experts say removing branding on packets and adding large health warnings reduced smoking in Australia.

With no mention their increase in taxes to $15 a pack, and vaping.

(ditch the tin foil, you're on point)

 

[Nate760]

It's interesting how they attribute the decrease to packaging .....

With no mention their increase in taxes to $15 a pack, and vaping.

Well, if they're so convinced of the efficacy of the plain packaging, it should be accompanied by a price reduction. If it's a magic bullet that works independently of all other variables, it shouldn't be a problem.

Addendum: as one who bought packs of cigarettes, in several different countries with different packaging standards, with great regularity over the course of 25 years, I can safely state that my decision to buy them was never informed or influenced, to any degree whatsoever, by the external appearance of the product. If they had Winston packs with pictures of little babies being murdered by Tobacco Satan, and dragged kicking and screaming to the fifth circle of hell by the Emphysema Monster, who made them watch movies about diseased lungs 46 hours a day for all eternity, it would not have occurred to me for one moment that I didn't want to buy one.

 

[Tache]

Maude dit - C'est domage les Francais du France (ok, ok, I'll switch back to English so more of us can feel the pain) have abandoned "Liberte, egalite et fraternite". Liberty, Equality and Brotherhood. The last place on earth I would have thought to give in to "the Nanny State"!

I'm simply disgusted!

 

[kakiser56]

I just read this. Plain packaging to curb smoking? Yea, because the pretty red and white marlboro box just me me say I want it. And to top it all off, they also said the 'vaping can be a gateway to smoking'. Have you ever vaped and and then smelled a cigarette? They smell disgusting!

 

[jpargana]

Well, if they're so convinced of the efficacy of the plain packaging, it should be accompanied by a price reduction. If it's a magic bullet that works independently of all other variables, it shouldn't be a problem.

Addendum: as one who bought packs of cigarettes, in several different countries with different packaging standards, with great regularity over the course of 25 years, I can safely state that my decision to buy them was never informed or influenced, to any degree whatsoever, by the external appearance of the product. If they had Winston packs with pictures of little babies being murdered by Tobacco Satan, and dragged kicking and screaming to the fifth circle of hell by the Emphysema Monster, who made them watch movies about diseased lungs 46 hours a day for all eternity, it would not have occurred to me for one moment that I didn't want to buy one.

This.

If not even the *appearence* of those warnings/grim pictures did nothing to lower smoking prevalence (of course it wouldn't; we already knew smoking was bad for us !! ), why do they believe that *increasing* the size of those warnings will have a better effect?? Most smokers have good sight and do not even need glasses, thankyouverymuch...!

Let's look at the ridicule presented by the new TPD: having 10 cig packs available *could* help smokers to smoke less. Suppose someome buys a 10-pack in the morning, and makes this compromise with himself to make it last until the next day. With the removal of 10-packs from the market, that person will have to buy 20-packs - and probably smoke more, because now he has 20 cigarettes in his pocket for the entire day.

So, why do they want to ban 10-packs ? Because, under the new regulations, a 10-pack is not BIG enough to have those warnings/pictures with the new, enlarged, minimal size...!

So, they are banning something that *could* be helping smokers to smoke less, because it is not big enough to have a "proper" warning... which has been already *proven* to be innefective !

 

[DC2]

Addendum: as one who bought packs of cigarettes, in several different countries with different packaging standards, with great regularity over the course of 25 years, I can safely state that my decision to buy them was never informed or influenced, to any degree whatsoever, by the external appearance of the product. If they had Winston packs with pictures of little babies being murdered by Tobacco Satan, and dragged kicking and screaming to the fifth circle of hell by the Emphysema Monster, who made them watch movies about diseased lungs 46 hours a day for all eternity, it would not have occurred to me for one moment that I didn't want to buy one.

If they made a series of packs like that, I would buy them (but not smoke any of them) just to keep as collector's items.