Smokers 'duped' by labels

[Violet_Crumble]

Tobacco companies have misled smokers for years about the health benefits of smoking "light" and "mild" cigarettes, the consumer watchdog has found.

The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission, after two years' investigation, has had final legal advice and will decide soon whether to take companies to court.

A Federal Court finding that manufacturers had breached the Trade Practices Act would expose the companies to litigation from smokers, the Cancer Council Victoria said.

A statement by Finance Minister Nick Minchin to the Senate said: "The ACCC has concluded that the labelling of light and mild cigarettes and the way in which these cigarettes have been marketed over several years all combine to give a misleading impression of the health benefits of smoking these cigarettes."

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Smokers-duped-by-labels/2005/02/14/1108229930443.html

[Inland]

1. It took an evil class action lawsuit to raise that issue in the US

If we had a government that actually protected consumers, we wouldn't need consumer class action suits.

[Matilda]

2. Agree that it's misleading, and that's bad.

But aren't smokers trying to dupe themselves? I know I sound
unsympathetic (I've never smoked), but everybody should know by
now that cigarette smoking is not good for the health, period.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. I can't speak for all smokers...

I'm kind of still new to the ex-smoking thing, but when I smoked I knew there were health risks and that wasn't what made me stop. The way I used to look at it was the bad things happened to other people and not to me. Not a very rational way to think, I know, but I do feel a fair bit of sympathy for smokers who haven't given up because I think I understand what they're thinking...

Violet...

[Djinn]

4. exactly

I have sympathy for smokers older than myself - some folks started back when it was still being advertised as "great for the throat" but for me and those fo my generation or younger - we knew.

I used to rip up all my mum & sisters cigarettes, I thought they were foul and gave you cancer, a few years later I started smoking - I can't say I blanme the fag companies - still think they're scum but at some point people have to make a personal decision and be accountable for that