The race to ban cigarette displays
Thursday, May 22, 2008 I have just appeared on BBC Breakfast to discuss the Scottish government's plans, announced yesterday, to ban the display of cigarettes in shops and the sale of 10-packs. Similar proposals have been put forward by the UK government which is about to launch a public consultation on the subject.
Needless to say, with Britain having a devolved political system, the SNP government wants to be seen to "lead" the way and thereby justify its existence.
When the announcement was made, my colleague Neil Rafferty was in an Edinburgh studio giving an immediate reaction on Holyrood Live (BBC Scotland). I rather liked his comment that: ""We will soon be living in a country where pornographic magazines will be on display in shops and not cigarettes."
There is more coverage of the story - and Forest's reaction - HERE and HERE.
Reader Comments (13)
News.Scotsman.com states 'At present, nearly a quarter of adults in Scotland die early from tobacco related diseases'
About a quarter of Scots smoke, so therefore nearly ALL smoking Scots die early.
2+2=5
Well done Simon and Neil for your articulate response to these SNP initiatives. Even in the Renaisance you could be burned at the stake for saying the earth was round.
Strange isn't it how underage drinking is far more attractive than legal drinking to many. Strange too how illegal drugs seem to be on the increase, but they are not displayed anywhere, however if people want to get hold of them, like guns, there is always someone around who can provide and often easier than it is to pop to the shops or pub for a drink or packet of cigarettes.
It therefore baffles me completely as to why these measures are even being considered - just as did raising the age of smoking! Currently we are unable to prevent underage drinking and have been unable to do so for decades, so why do these numbskulls in government think it will work with smoking? Just as hiding the product will only make it more of a challenge for youngsters to acquire it and they will always rise to this kind of challenge! Of course,it will also promote the sale of illegal cigarettes that do actually kill! Normal, legal cigarettes do nowhere near the harm the government and WHO, etc want us to believe they do. As far as I can see it is another smoke screen by these power hungry idiots to divert us from more serious things that are happening.
Let's face it, we are far more at risk from vehicle fumes both inside and outside. If adequate ventilation were insisted upon instead of smokers being banned from enclosed public places, everyone would be better protected from the far more harmful toxins produced by vehicles. Just like 20mph speed limits in towns will only serve to increase cases of cancer, asthma and other lung related illnesses because the slower the vehicle travels the less efficient the engine and therefore the greater are the fumes it will produce! Children will be particularly vulnerable because they are the ones that are nearer to the vehicle exhausts!
Of course, as more children are seen to contract these illnesses no doubt these total idiots will carry on blaming smoking and demonising even further people who smoke around their children.
For goodness sake why can't sensible people look back at recent history when in both pre and post war the majority of people smoked and yet the children from those decades did not suffer. Why don't people ask the question 'how come cancer rates are increasing as smoking rates are decreasing?' These are common sense questions and facts that are blatantly ignored by government. That leave the most important question of all - 'WHY?'
I can only come up with one answer and in my humble opinion it boils down to almost world wide corruption! By whom, you may ask - is not the pharmaceutical industry big enough to fund such corruption? I would think so. They have worked on this for decades and recruited well with the likes of ASH. You do have to feel sorry for these people really, they have been so brainwashed that they cannot possibly think for themselves any more. Unfortunately, they are passing this brainwashing on to much of our society. Of course, ultimately the governments seem to think they will benefit because it will be much easier for them to manipulate a brainwashed society who are unable to think for themselves!
Very George Orwell maybe, but haven't some of his outlandish predictions been scarily close to the truth?
I just wonder what fantasy world these politicians live in. They like to tell us they see the "bigger picture" when in fact they see no picture at all!
Lyn, I enjoyed reading what you said. Here are a few thoughts of my own. On the one hand, MPs', many of whom have lived closeted, priviledged lives, totally unaware of reality, do pass the most ridiculous legislation. They have these idealistic views, you know, the kind that thinks that reasoning with a phsycopath will make everything alright. On the other hand, some of our devious decision makers know full well what they are doing, but it is not what they say they are doing. Two examples. They raised the legal age of smoking to 18, then voila, a couple of months later, the amount of people smoking in the UK dropped by 1% - think about it. Here is another one. Did they know pubs would close following a comprehensive smoking ban? Of course they did. In the main, it is the pubs they wanted to close, the traditional working class pub where people play darts, tell dirty jokes, have a quiz and a karaoke, use bad language - in other words, have a good time.
Timbone
I think you are right about them wanting to close the pubs. This government are squeezing every penny they can and are taxing some peole out of existence. People talk politics in pubs and also pubs are the place where people used to get a bit of work on the side, cash in hand. The government doesn't like that idea as it cannot control it.
On the subject of banning cigarette displays (probably coming soon) I intend to make the person behind the counter get every single packet out and ask the price. Otherwise how will I know which ones I can afford? I don't care if I hold anyone upm I'll just say blame the government that you voted for.
Also it is surprising when you speak to people how many deny voting for this government?
Finally what is this about a public consultation that Simon mentions in his post? They never consulted me about the smoking ban so just who is it that they consult - non smokers?
Hi Timbone - Glad you enjoyed my little tirade! You also made some very valid points all of which I agree with. Of course, whilst reducing the legal number of smokers by 1% by increasing the age limit, they have also increased by at least the same amount the number of illegal smokers! I started smoking when I was 13, some 38 years ago. The minimum age to smoke then was 16, it didn't stop me. Nor did 18 being the legal age to drink in pubs stop me from buying drinks in pubs at the age of 13. I scarcely drink at all now and if I do it is only the occasional glass of wine or maybe a Bailey's at Christmas. Prior to being 18 I drank anything that was available behind the bar!
With reference to them knowing that pubs would close, of course they did - lets face it, they want the UK to become more cultured and instead of pubs have upmarket wine bars and the like - the traditional pub that has served us so well including in terms of tourism, is just too low class for our government, despite the fact that in the old days Labour used to stand for the working classes! Funny how red has become the other blue!
There are valid points in both our comments and many others, unfortunately convincing the majority of people who are now bordering on completing their brainwashing is not going to be an easy task! In our innocence we started to act too late.
Very strong articulate points by all posters above. In comes down to the one question - Why?
Causing unemployment, loss of business and tax revenue, disenfranchisement, increase of violence on the streets by desperate unhappy people. ever increasing fines, ever increasing poverty and breakdown of social communicatiom through loss of traditional easy-going working men's pubs and clubs. WHAT can possibly be the rational for this nonsensical method of government?
The answer is very simple. They are under orders from their masters, the European Union. The EU, in turn, are under orders from the powers that be behind Globalisation. For anyone not familiar with Common Purpose, I urge you to turn to their website and then the anti-Common Purpose website.
This is what George Orwell was writing about in his novel 1984.
When I first heard about Common Purpose, very many years ago, I tended to dismiss the theory as representing a bunch of neurotic cranks. The thought has stayed with me every since, though. About 40 years ago, when Big Pharma began their public campaign to prove with their own funded "research" that there are dangers in smoking, I saw it as a simple commercial war to encourage people away from smoking and on to prescription tranquiliser drugs. I didn't realise then that the basis of these drugs is nicotine itself. They call it Niacin, or Nicotinic Acid, or Vitamen B3. People who smoke tend not to need these drugs. Smoking nicotine provides automatic internal healing and good blood circulation. It fulfils an oral need which otherwise would turn to unnecessary eating. It sharpens the brain cells. Smokers didn't know these things - they didn't need to. They just liked the feeling of well being that smoking gave to them.
This particular aspect of brain washing and ultimate global control has been so successful that even smokers themselves think that they are killing themselves and people around them.
Next on the list of global domination and control are alcohol, obesity and the life threatening unseen enemy of global warming and climate change. Heavy smoking, drinking and eating possibly are bad for health, but climate change is a complete myth. Scientists in the field of climatology are furious that their science is being so abused by these lies. They have made videos which prove beyond any doubt that this is as huge a lie as the one that smoking kills.
There is nothing benign about Common Purpose. It does not exist for the good of mankind. It is a glorious inner sanctum where wealth and privilege are guaranteed for the chosen few. It recruits in the simplest and most realistic of ways by offering courses in Leadership to suitably vetted candidates,
Each human being has only one life. Each person feels that the success of their one life is measured by the amount of worldly wealth that person creates for himself during this one lifetime. It sounds attractive, doesn't it? And it is! Which of you, hand on heart, would turn down the offer of a million pounds tomorrow provided that you assisted in the death and destruction of a small section of humanity who you don't know personally?
Would I accept this offer? No. Twice in my life I have been invited onto the first rungs of the ladder. I sincerely believe there are many more people of conscience in this world who have also said No.
Do you own research into this. Dismiss me as a crank, if you wish.
So - back to basics. What can we do about the Orwellian situation we are now obviously right in the middle of. As a first step, we can do everything in our own personal power to assist the United Kingdom to get out of complete political control by the EU.
Our platform is the [still unbelievable] world wide smoking ban. I believe, as many of us do, that this was a step too far. Don't just say to others that you reserve the right of freedom of choice even though it may kill you. Go into attack mode. Say it does NOT kill, say why. Point out the rest of the destruction being caused by this brainwashing lie. Show as proof the misery and poverty it has created. Point out that alcohol and eating and so-called global warming are next. Do everything possible to stop complete dictatorship from faceless people in Brussels via the Lisbon Treaty.
Sign the petition to the Irish people I mentioned in topics below and, above all, read the very informed Personal Letters attached to it from other ordinary citizens in the various countries of Europe.
P.S.
I hit the wrong key and ended my diatribe too soon. [Thank goodness for that you say.] Yes, I agree with all above the stupid raising of the age for legally buying tobacco is certainly aimed towards reducing the "laughable" statistics of reduction in smoking since the ban. Note that smoking in Ireland has gone up by 2% not down. My own smoking has increased to an alarming financial extent! Certainly putting cigarettes under the counter will make them more attractive to the young and increase damaging street trading.
Believe me, none of this is being done for our "Good". It is there to further demoralise and disenfranchise us.
Sterile wine bars with separate small tables can never provide the same communal friendly meeting places as the traditional pubs.
I keep getting this same reply that it was of public opinion that smoking was banned in public places. Who the hell did they ask they certainly never asked me. And as for cigarettes being sold under the counter i hope everyone working on the cigarette counter and who eventually gets a bad back bobbing up and down like a yo yo all day sues this government for getting a bad back due there stupid policies.I have never heard of shots of heroin being sold under the counter but drug taking is rife. Do these brainless politicians really think hiding cigarettes under the counter is going to stop youngsters from smoking. Why should we have to suffer because youngsters are taking up the habit its not our fault they are choosing to smoke. Its always the miniority that spoils things for the majority.
You know it doesn't matter, you can argue with it all you want. They have already decided to do this in England, Wales, and Scotland, this "consultation" thing is a grace period. They won't pay any attention to the results. I like to try differant brands. and I have favourite brands for differant situations/mood/weather. How am I going to check what brands they have? Ask them to list them for me? Or will there be a menu?
I hate this country.
I would suggest, Matt, that you insist on a sample of every brand being shown to you but, unfortunately, this will just irritate the innocent people in the queue behind you.
It wouldn't surprise me if an unstated aim of this measure is to discourage shopkeepers from selling cigarettes at all.
Maybe you've all heard? The WHO has just set up 4 new Framework Conventions to match the one on tobacco. These are for
1)Alcohol.
2)Food.
3)Salt.
4)Sugar.