BS: New UK tobacco legislation!

Subject: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 03:52 AM

It's now illegal for large (??) shops and supermarkets to display tobacco products - which is excellent, small shops to follow in 2015 apparently.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: greg stephens
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 04:03 AM

Which will be next I wonder. Alcohol presumably. My preferred candidate would be white sugar. Supermarkets might becoming rather forebidding looking place, with all the shelves covered with steel shutters. It's going to make shopping a rather slow proces if selecting any potentially damaging product(lard?) involves opening a cupboard or winding up a shutter.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 04:06 AM

As long as they don't hide away crumpets - my secret obsession!

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 04:16 AM

There is a tobacco, cigarette plus smokers accessory shop in my local market, they'll only be allowed to display lighters and matches, very well thought out.

Dave H

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: alanabit
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 04:46 AM

We can not legislate cocaine, heroin etc out of existence any more than we can pass legislation which effectively stops people frowning on Wednesdays. However, we can at least ensure that they are not advertised and presented publicly to make them look alluring. As the tobacco companies cheerfully kill more customers than the cocaine and heroin industries put together, I am very glad that they will be hindered in presenting their products to my children.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: GUEST,Bluesman
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 04:59 AM

There is a tobacconist I know from home, he has been there 43 years, he is the third generation of his family to trade on that site. The shop is a treasure with displays of old Victorian tobacco jars used for blending and various snuff tins and vintage advertising signs on display.This law will ruin him.

He told me, that business has been falling back due to illegal cigarettes and rolling tobacco coming into the country, seemingly it is big business with sellers found in every town.

Hiding cigarettes from view isn't going to stop people smoking.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 05:47 AM

NB This doesn't apply in Scotland yet; unfortunately.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: alanabit
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 08:40 AM

"Hiding cigarettes from view isn't going to stop people smoking." Indeed it won't Bluesman. However, it will help to hinder business people in making the product look enticing to my kids.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: Paul Burke
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 10:18 AM

The big difference between smoking and alocohol, heroin, lard and climbing is that if you don't want the last four, you leave them alone. With smoking (in communal situations) everyone gets a bit. I'll leave aside the unsavoury litter habits of some heroin users here.

But there's no doubting that the justified unpopularity of tobacco among non-users is being used to create a precedent for regulating many other aspects of behaviour. The well-off truly do not like the rabble enjoying themselves.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: GUEST,Bluesman
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 12:26 PM

I am an ex smoker, I don't drink alcohol either. I would much prefer to see the government do something about alcohol, like a tax similar to tobacco products (twenty cigarettes cost 27 pence to product, the rest is taxation).

A lot of young weekend drinkers cause a lot of trouble and damage to our towns and cities (not all).

Alcohol causes more problems than smoking, I never saw anyone beat up their partner or wreck a home after smoking ten Benson and Hedges. Addiction clinics report a 33% rise in the number of people they treat within the past five years.

Yes smokers fill much needed hospital beds, at almost six pounds a packet, some could say they are also paying for their treatment.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 12:37 PM

My experience with youngsters makes me think that the moment you forbid something and hide it behind a screen, it becomes the very thing they want to have!

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: GUEST,Bluesman
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 12:48 PM

Good point Eliza, I don't think it will help, but it will stop tobacco companies having prominence in a shop.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 12:58 PM

In our Super Huge Tesco store, there are two enormously long aisles of alcohol. Wines, spirits, beer, lager, attractively displayed with helpful cards explaining origins and describing the taste of all the wines. Special offers shout at you and huge pyramids of cans delight the eye. In view of the enormous cost to health and the Peace of the Realm, shouldn't all this booze be behind a screen of some sort? With a little door on which one furtively taps? ("Psssst! One bottle of Beaujolais please.")

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 01:03 PM

". The shop is a treasure with displays of old Victorian tobacco jars used for blending and various snuff tins and vintage advertising signs on display. This law will ruin him."

Why should it make much difference? I can't imagine vintage posters for brands of cigarettes that aren't still made, and so forth, will be affected by this.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: Bert
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 01:08 PM

Hey leave my lard alone, it is a darn sight healthier than margarine.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: GUEST,Bluesman
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 03:05 PM

All public advertising of tobacco products, new and old will be banned, probably in case the manufacturers use a loop hole by printing retro ads, to get around the ban.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: scouse
Date: 07 Apr 12 - 04:26 AM

I live over the lake here in the Netherlands and I thank the lord I'm not living there in my homeland anymore.. The place is going to pot(No pun intended!!!) I'm just wonderin' what they'll ban next just to grab some cheapo headlines.Dear me, what will they ban next!!

As Aye,

Phil.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: GUEST,Bluesman
Date: 07 Apr 12 - 04:53 AM

Scouse, It's pressure groups that get chances to the laws in the UK these days, government runs with them to shut them up. On the flip side, if banning advertising reduces the number of people who smoke in the UK by 15%, income tax would have to rise by 11 pence to meet the short fall.

The price of a packet of cigarettes went up 37 pence in the last budget, all that achieved was to dive people to those selling smuggled European Tobacco products.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Apr 12 - 06:05 AM

The government thinks that we need to be told what to do and what not to do. They consider us too stupid to thnk for ourselves.
Some people seem to go out of their way to prove them right, and the rest of us suffer as a consequence.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: Bernard
Date: 07 Apr 12 - 08:06 AM

I really don't understand the fuss. I'm a life-long non-smoker, and no amount of advertising or goods on display has ever made me want to start smoking!

I do realise there's an argument that says people who smoke eventually cost the NHS a lot of money... so educate children in schools not to smoke instead of doing all this pointless, daft stuff!!

My parents both smoked until I was in my early teens - maybe their good sense in quitting influenced my decision. They're both pushing 90 now, so maybe it helped them, too.

Apparently the banning of tobacco advertising wasn't particularly effective - although it did mean the tobacco companies no longer had the expense of an advertising budget...!!

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: Musket
Date: 07 Apr 12 - 08:46 AM

The last government may have been warmongering liars, but they shall be remembered as the most forward and progressive public health administration for banning smoking in public places.

Whatever the faults of this newer government, they recognise this, and are pressing forward with the earlier plans for advertising and are listening to the medical advice regarding smoking in the same room as children, especially closed in places such as cars.

Throwing the contents of your chamber pot into the street was normal 250 years ago and now is slightly frowned upon to say the least...

Bernard is absolutely correct on one dilemma he mentions.. If no tobacco pedlars can advertise, the level playing field remains and so selling tobacco becomes more profitable, as their largest overhead other than duty is advertising.

That said, in terms of personal health abuse, it ranks with many acceptable poisons such as the increase in salt and sugar in processed foods, ironically because people wanted less fat in their food after being told it was bad for you. Alcohol is a huge both killer and life quality lowerer but there has to be a line somewhere.

I do think though that if there is a line, then tobacco is below it. It not only affects the smoker, it can affect those exposed to it, and even if that isn't enough to make it socially unacceptable, then as we are exposed to it less, the stink becomes even worse. If you smoke, people increasingly try not to stand near you, even when you are not smoking. People aren't comfortable being in your home because it smells too. Never enjoyed snogging an ashtray either.

Many people say it is difficult to stop. Some say they can't concentrate without it. Funny that. I used to work with many chain smokers, but for the 8 hours down the pit, not a fag in site and you know what? Everybody just got on with their job. If you can't, you don't, and if you don't, you don't need to either. The most successful quitters are those who say sod it, and throw the rest of the box away, not those who attend lectures and have arms like second hand bike inner tubes.

And if you want to smoke anyway? Fine. Just don't be upset when society take measures to ensure the rest of us don't have to share your addiction.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Apr 12 - 11:58 AM

And I wonder how many 30 a day smokers have said to me "it's alright for you, we can't even afford to go to Spain - even by easyjet, you work it out, 365 x £10 = £3,650!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: Stringsinger
Date: 07 Apr 12 - 01:23 PM

Nicotine is poison. Would anyone advocate the selling of arsenic for human consumption?

What's next is an examination of harmful food substances that can be revealed to the public.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: GUEST,Bluesman
Date: 07 Apr 12 - 01:38 PM

Alcohol needs to be next on the list, tax it, ban advertising and promotions and more graphic advertisements about the effects on family life,show the beatings women and children suffer from drunken men,and patients suffering liver rot.

Subject: RE: BS: New UK tobacco legislation!
From: gnu
Date: 07 Apr 12 - 03:10 PM

Here, pharmacies can NOT sell tobacco. All shops, except tobacco shops must conceal tobacco products from view.