Government unveils cigarette branding curbs

[oldironside]

"Tobacco will no longer be displayed in shops under new legislation being implemented by the Government.

Only temporary displays in "certain limited circumstances" will be allowed, with the rules phased in to minimise the impact on businesses, according to a statement from the Department of Health.

The regulations will come into force for large stores on April 6 2012 and on April 6 2015 for all other shops. "

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/government-unveils-cigarette-branding-curbs-2236487.html

Speaking as a former 50-a-day man, I welcome anything that cuts the level of smoking in our society, but have the feeling that putting it under the counter will only make it more glamorous for the next generation. One of the comments on the Independent article suggests using the Clarkson effect. So, pictures of Jeremy enjoying a post coital fag with Dawn French? That would put me off.

[non sociopath skin]

1. Poor Dawn. What has she done to deserve that?

Tend to agree. Reaching the people who still smoke is a job of education (in the widest sense) IMHO, not product positioning.

I suspect that a lot of the hard core get most of their stash from illegal outlets anyway.

The Skin

[oldironside]

2. In answer to your first question...

... The Vicar Of Dibley.

Agree with the second partup to a point. Education will never be enough. When I was at school in the late 70s/early 80s we were educated on the dangers of tobacco (they even showed us film of a smoker's autopsy), but I still started. Young people think they are indestructible. This may help to make the product out of sight, out of mind.

[non sociopath skin]

3. For Shame, Ironside!

You'd wish The Clarkson on poor Dawn just because of a crap sitcom ??????

Even June Whitfield - or Terry Scott, indeed - wouldn't deserve being bedded by Wor Jezza, in spite of having unleashed "Terry and June" on the world.

Now there's an image to haunt your day ....

Agree with the second partup to a point. Education will never be enough. When I was at school in the late 70s/early 80s we were educated on the dangers of tobacco (they even showed us film of a smoker's autopsy), but I still started. Young people think they are indestructible. This may help to make the product out of sight, out of mind.

I meant education in the widest sense ie life-long education. To be fair, the majority of kids these days are deterred by what they've been taught about the Perils of the Gasper but others may need it reinforced in adulthood. Good preventive health programmes and parent support - eg SureStart - can provide information and support at a time when people might be more receptive, and a little bit more aware of their own mortality.

The Skin

[oldironside]

4. There's nothing much I disagree with here...

... except that Dawn French deserves the seventh circle under the pit of hell for the Vicar Of Dibley (along with Phil Collins, Michael Gove, the inventor of Muzak and whoever it was who persuaded GWB to stop drinking - feel free to add to this list).

I would guess that the majority of kids didn't smoke when I was at school but there is always a self destructive minority who thought it was cool, as well as others who got sucked in. This was probably the advertising industry's greatest achievement - marketing a foul smelling poison as your passport to the international jet set (I'm paraphrasing Spike Milligan there).

Maybe I should have typed "Education alone will never be enough". I think it's vital that government (the dreaded nanny state) keeps up this sort of pressure until the weed goes the same way as lead water pipes, public hangings and the BBC Light Programme, but I stand by my original point. Taking these things off display is a positive thing.

One last thought. Would Terry Scott have been the top or the bottom?