Attorney Michael de Broglio on: South Africa, Law, Politics, Attorneys, Sport, Photography, Technology, Gadgets, Media, Crime, Road Accidents Fund,
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Australia has just approved the world’s first uniform packaging for cigarette packs. It has already been speculated that New Zealand and the UK will follow that next and hopefully our Minister of Health also picks that up, and adds one more arm to the anti-smoking legislation.
The laws were challenged by cigarette manufacturers in Australia and they have now lost that battle in Court also. Essentially, the Australian law allows cigarettes to be sold in packaging with the same font for all brands on a dark brown background. There are not allowed to be any company logos for the brands and health warnings cover 90% of the back of the package and 70% of the front. Australian government experts justify the rules reminding people that cigarettes are the only legal consumer product that kills and used exactly as intended by the manufacturer. In many respects, it is quite amazing that cigarette smoking is still legal and cigarettes can be bought easily, and there can be little doubt, whether that takes 20 or 50 years, that will not always be the case as ultimately one group of people cannot pay taxes for another group of people to puff their way to health care.
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Thursday 06-Sep-12
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Comments
Joyce said:
on Monday 10-Sep-12 12:30 PM
The pictures on the package look scary can make one realise that something in the package is dangerous
Tans said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 06:00 PM
Smokers... The self-made victims that everyone else love to hate…
Okay, I am not going to argue why people should have the right to kill themselves. Usually smokers are condemned because they cause harm to those around them. But how much would the harm of cigarette smoke compare to car emissions?
FORCE International completed a report and the conclusion was as follows:
In order for cigarette smokers to match the same amount of air pollution in the stated cities, it will require:
• 33 millions cigarettes per person each year
• 91 300 cigarettes per person each day
• 3 810 cigarettes per person each hour
• 64 cigarettes per person each minute
It is true, Australia's highest court upheld the world's toughest law on cigarette promotion, prohibiting tobacco company logos on cigarette packs that will instead show cancer-riddled mouths, blinded eyeballs and sickly children.
The High Court rejected a challenge by tobacco companies who argued the value of their trademarks will be destroyed if they are no longer able to display their distinctive colors, brand designs and logos on packs of cigarettes.
Packs will instead come in a uniformly drab shade of olive and feature dire health warnings and graphic photographs of smoking's health effects.
The government, which has urged other countries to adopt similar rules, hopes the new packs will make smoking as unglamorous as possible.
Bearing in mind that tobacco advertising was banned from Australian television and radio in 1976. Restrictions on advertising have tightened over the years to include print ads, the Internet and retail outlets... but did it really have the desired effect / outcome?? I cannot for one moment think that banning or restricting advertising or even prohibiting the company logos, changing the “look” of the packs, the color, design, or even the fond size, will encourage any person to quit smoking, or stop them from buying cigarettes. Surely they smoke the cigarettes and not the packs.
Having said that, I am not going to deny that cigarettes kill (smokers mostly)…. But at the same token, global warming is real and car emission is one of its biggest contributors, if not the main contributor. And yet owing a car is deemed desirable, while smokers are condemned.
As Al Gore said, “because it’s an inconvenient truth, because they don’t want to accept that it’s a moral imperative”
So to all the “greenies” out there, you might think you can change the world, but you will N-E-V-E-R be able to force a smoker to quite.
Those gruesome pictures on the cigarettes packs are scaring no one…at least no one I know and changing the “look” of packs will have the same effect.
Genevieve said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 04:52 PM
Like Lucretia said, there are dangerous toxins everywhere. Smoking has been banned from areas where it was previously allowed. Everybody has bad habits, and being to healthy is also bad for you, because your immune system does not build up the "strength" to fight sicknesses. Everything has a negative side to it.
Megan said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 04:02 PM
Hay... they have 25 ciragettes in a box... not fair :)
Brenda said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 04:02 PM
Hi my name is Brenda and i smoke!! Yes, my lungs are affected, yes, its bad for my health, yes, yes, yes!!
It is so easy for people to ridicule the smokers, and judge and point fingers! But no note is taken really of the difficulties a smoker faces when trying to give up smoking and how degraded and belittled we are because of judgmental comments from non smokers!!! We know the choices we made in life, maybe not the best choice of them all, but life happens!!
Its all this pressure that smokers get from non smokers that at the end of the day makes a smoker just smoke that much more!!
Its so frustrating!!
Megan said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 03:54 PM
Seriously people, what do you care if people smoke or not. It makes very little difference in your lives. If you are going to use the argument that tax payers money is going to be used to treat people due to their smoking related diseases that argument is weak at best! Then I would have to point out obese people, sex workers & drug addicts will inevitably need medical treatment that said McDonalds should have to use obese children in their advertisements.
Catherine said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 03:45 PM
Smoking or not smoking is an individual choice! What it's benefits are, i have a big question mark. There are many evils out there yes but, if we don't eliminate one by one including smoking, we will never beat any of them. It is a step in the right direction to change cigarette packaging.
90% of the kids imitate what parents or older people to them do and they think smoking is cool and want to try it. What are we teaching the young generation?
Helen said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 03:44 PM
I have never been smoking in my love! And after looking at this packaging I think I will never change my opinion about smoking! Hopefully very soon the same kind of packaging will be in South Africa soon.
Robyn said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 03:44 PM
Blah blah smoking is bad blah blah. So is drinking, so is overeating, so is using drugs so is working too much.
Thabitha said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 03:36 PM
I don't like the picture on the pack and smokers are awere of their health condition but they enjoy their smoke.
thembi said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 03:27 PM
The changing of the package sounds like a good idea because maybe people will think twice before purchasing the cigarrettes that can ruin their lives for ever.
Kaylene said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 03:17 PM
I think that the people will eventually get used to the pictures on the pack, just like they got used to the warnings that they started printing on it.
Sarah said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 12:11 PM
I personally think changing the package of a cigarettes will not stop people of smoking but I do think it is a good idea.
Tanith said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 10:49 AM
I dont think the packaging will make much difference, because if you want to smoke, you will smoke, regardless of whats on the outside. but im all for it.
Liesl said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 09:13 AM
This fight has been going on for years -although I must agree that smoking really isn't a healthy choice that one makes for yourself I must also agree that our country as it stands has a lot of problems that need very urgent attention.
Sally said:
on Friday 07-Sep-12 09:09 AM
A smoker will always be a smoker does not matter what you say to them or what picture or packaging you use.
cherise said:
on Thursday 06-Sep-12 05:49 PM
Everyone has very valid points , I must agree that it is one's own decision to smoke like it is an alcoholics to drink.
Angelique said:
on Thursday 06-Sep-12 11:22 AM
I too am tired of the cigarettes & smoking hype. Everyone has a choice and I'll say it again - we pay our tax also for people who eat too much and become obese! Ultimately we pay tax whether we are in a certain group of people who smoke or over eat or not! I dont mind if they change the packaging, hell I think its a good idea but lets not get carried away and make smoking illegal.
Jessica said:
on Thursday 06-Sep-12 11:09 AM
I think that people should start paying more attention to drugs than to smoking, reason being once a person is hooked on drugs, they don't care about life, they rob, kill and give up on life, smoking on the other hand doesn't make people loose their morals and brain like drugs do. So many kids loosing their lives to drugs and alcohol, that is more of a problem then smoking if you ask me. Fight the drugs and alcohol then attack the smoking.
Simone said:
on Thursday 06-Sep-12 10:45 AM
My personal opinion is that I think this is an excellent idea. Many of my colleagues may completely disagree as the majority of them are smokers, but I think this is such a great idea for the future youth. It may not stop you from smoking immediately, but it should definitely play some thought in your mind.
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
