- madonna-desperately-seeking-susan-1985-billboard-650.jpg (73.83 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
Plain Packs and Health Warnings - facts!
Why The Warnings?
In many part of the world, it has become law to decorate cigarette packs with outrageous images and warnings. This initially came about because of the famous cases of people in America suing the tobacco companies for millions after it turned out that smoking 80 or 100 cigs a day was actually rather harmful. In return, the cig companies filed a statement which said that "Tobacco is Harmful". What they mean is, it can affect health, especially if consumed in excess of a reasonable daily dose. In
America, this has lead to no changes in the law, and Americans enjoy beautiful pack designs and elegant cigarettes; complete with a coloured safety band to prevent over-smoking. In Europe, Australia, and The Middle East, this admission lead to a bunch of phoney studies, which lead people to think smoking was in fact deadly.
In many of these Non-U.S. countries, part of this on-going research is to ask every patient admitted to any medical facility, for any reason, if they smoke. If the person says yes, then if they happen to die, the death is notes as "Smoking Related" - even if the person died from a loss of blood due to a road incident, got beat up, stabbed, or even if they fell off a roof. Yes even if the person passed away peacefully in their sleep! These faux figures are then passed to statistics agencies who then inform the government that "More Smokers are dying now than at any other time is history before!". This is despite the fact that smoking continues to decrease in the UK and Europe, to the point where there are less smokers around now than there were in the 1920s and 30s. So if there are few smokers around then ever before, how can more people be dying from smoking than ever before, unless they are not dying of smoking at all, and were in fact just happened to be caught in the worlds biggest anti-smoking scam. They dont ask if you drink alcohol, even though this is by far the biggest killer on the planet.
Plain?? Packs!
In order to sell us the information they need to complete the brain-washing of the do-gooder anti-smoking agenda, the appointed non-government "Think-Tanks" have come up with a way to make smoking appear far less socially acceptable. This takes the form of three aspects, firstly terror propaganda publicity photographs on every pack, secondly, fear-mongering unsubstantiated horror slogans presented as "Health Warnings", and lastly, regimented Military uniform-coloured packs presented in Olive Green (they decided white packs looked far too sexy).
- cigscompare.jpg (78.29 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
This means the new packs are anything but plain, in fact they are the total opposite of plain in that the new packs contain 6 times as much information as the old packs;
like Benson and Hedges or Marlboro Reds; which had strict coloured designs and just the name of the brand on the cover. The new laws also apply to the length and size of cigarettes, and also the safety bands had to be removed in case the colour of the band was somehow the thing which made most people take up the practice. This means smoking down to the filter is far less safe than it used to be.
The List of Lies:
These are mostly taken from the alcohol culture, where too many drinks on a Friday Night can leave you in A&E, or severely abused. Lets gothough some of these.
"Smoking Reduces Fertility / Makes You Infertile"
This claim comes from the alcohol culture, where Brewers Droop and the inability to perform during sex has been widely documented for centuries. Infertility was hyped a few years ago based on the theory that Menthol cigarettes cause men to become less fertile, but long term evidence suggests this was just a scare story, and that the male smokers- 364253011_0_640x640.jpg (56.04 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
who smoked menthol cigarettes in the in-vitro fertilization study were themselves insecure, and perhaps therefore less potent to begin with. However, there is evidence to suggest that smoking produces free-radicals (not as many as a McDonald's Hamburger) and males can be affected by free-radicals in semen. Antioxidants protect sperm from
damage from free radicals, which can affect their motility and ability to fertilize an egg, and a good diet can provide these, and enough to cleanse the body. A bad diet can produce many more free-radicals than smoking, and if smoking less than 10 cigs a day, this effect is small to negligible.
Smoking has been found to abate or weaken the sexual urge in some men for no longer than 5mins after smoking. Other men have reposted the except opposite, and that tobacco increases their libido greatly. But there is no evidence to suggest that tobacco is a cause of male or female infertility, especially when stress and alcohol are by far the #1 and #2 causes. There is actually no evidence to suggest a man or woman suddenly became impotent from smoking, and in most cases impotency has a lot to do with the mind and the esteem of the person.
"Smoking Makes You Go Blind!"
- article-2692410-1FA5EB7300000578-906_634x767.jpg (55.45 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
Another claim taken from ancient drinking cultures of the world. If you consume alcohol, there is a state known as being "Blind Drunk", in that the poisonous substance interferes with the visual cortex to induce a lack off clarity, which begins as a haze, and gets darker until the person is unable to see clearly and passed out. There is very small evidence that a lifetime of hard smoking can make eyes go weak. Most peoples eyes go weak over time, and many people need reading glasses when they get into the 40's and beyond. But there is no evidence to suggest smoking a pack a day leads to the user going blind, or having to have an eye operation as they begin to read Braille. Out of all the unsubstantiated claims, this is the most ludicrous of them all. Oh sorry, I've just gone blind!! Someone pass me my cigarettes!
"Smoking Gives you Gangrene, and makes your Fingers and Toes turn Black"
- cigscompare2.jpg (149.96 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
Gangrene - also known as Peripheral Vascular Disease - is a condition that occurs when body tissue dies. It is caused by a loss of blood supply due to an underlying illness, injury, and/or infection. Apart from a little yellow stain on the side of your finger, smoking is not going to cut off the circulation enough for a finger or hand or your leg to suddenly stop working and turn back. A poor diet, lack of exercise, and many pharmaceutical medications (such as Statins) lower the blood pressure to dangerous levels - which cause these things to happen.
Alcohol actively breaks off chunks of built-up detritus from your arteries, and sends there careering around the bloodstream. If these bits of material get stuck in some part of the body, it gets blocked and dies. If it happens in your heart then you have a heart attack, if the clog is in your brain you have a stroke. If its a finger it goes back. Alcohol, mixed with cholesterol reducing medical drugs, is a recipe for disaster, but smoking cigarettes and tobacco for a whole lifetime only has a minimal contributory effect on the blood stream, and a bad diet and a lack of exercise are the #1 and #2 causes of this. If you are in any doubt, try stretching your hands and feet occasionally, and eat some anti-oxidants like Onions and Leeks.
"Smoking Damages Your Teeth, and Makes Them Go Rotten!"
Once again, drinkers tend to have the stereotype that they dont brush their teeth very often, and therefore have a mouth full of bad gums. In truth, anyone who doesnt take care of their dental hygiene at least once or twice a day will run into some kind of issue, including tooth decay, root decay and gum disease. The #1 cause of this (in first world countries) is the staggeringly high sugar content in most drinks and foods, and the high levels of refined sugars found in everything from yoghurt to sweets. Tobacco also contains sugar, and perhaps a third up to as much as a half of the ingredients mixed with tobacco is sugar in order to make the smoke pleasant. Without the sugar content, tobacco, alcohol, and sometimes even tea and coffee and chocolate tastes utterly foul and bitter.- Vogue_Aus_UK-France_SM.jpg (67.28 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
But there is no evidence to suggest smokers teeth are being overly affected by any of this, as the prime sources of discoloured or yellowed teeth are Coffee, Tea and a sugar rich foods. These blanket the teeth in a mixture of substances which eat away at the base of the teeth and into fine cracks; leading directly (without mere hours) to a weakening of the enamel and tooth decay. A typical smoker will smoke in the middle or to the side of their mouth, resulting in usually one or sometimes two discoloured or yellowed teeth - most often the two front teeth on the top row are most exposed to the smoke, or perhaps one of the teeth to the side. In the short term, this, capitulated with Tea and Coffee and other discolouring food and drinks, can cause the user to need to brush their teeth more. There is no evidence to suggest that smoking causes your teeth to decay, or fall out, or require you to go out and buy yourself a new set of dentures. Images of bad teeth would be far more appropriate, and more factually correct, on a bottle of Bud light, Special Brew, or on a tube of Wine Gums!
"Smoking Causes Harm/Kills Your Unborn Baby!"
- plain_cigarette_pack.jpg (66.76 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
Smoking has actually been linked to soothing and calming a baby in the womb, and there is no evidence to seriously suggest a smoker is any more likely to lose her baby more than a drinker, or someone who uses lots of different drugs. There are lots of reasons why complications can arise during pregnancy which can lead to the loss of a child, but unless the person chain smokes, there is relatively little damage done to the unborn child. Most of the harmful toxins in smoke are evaporated into the air, either directly during combustion or afterwards during exhalation. Any remaining toxins are filtered out by the lungs and absorbed harmlessly away. The leftovers go to the users brain, with traces of nicotine moving around the body in the bloodstream, some of which goes through the baby. Nicotine in this pure form is absolutely harmless, but alcohol in any form is very toxic - and often deadly to an unborn child. Tobacco has been linked to reduced birth weights in infants, in the same way smoking reduces body weight in adults, but this is absolutely nothing compared to alcohol, heroine, and other substance abuse. The #1 cause of losing a baby is actually domestic violence, mishaps or falls, caused by one drink too many. In fact Caffeine and other diuretics have been shown to cause more harm to an unborn baby, simply due to excessive water loss and dehydration.
"Smoking Causes Premature Ageing"
For anyone who doesnt know, these are the hands of someone in their later years, perhaps aged in the 60's. My hands are in their 40's, and show no signs of discolouring or wrinkles. Wrinkles in the hands like this are often caused by working in an environment such as a laundry, or even long periods in a kitchen, where the hands are soaked in hot water. For the rest of us, we can look forward to hands like this someday eventually, and this is perfectly natural. The cigarette smoke, which they say dries the hands, its actually raised on the tall cigarette stem, which is raised above the hands. The smoke may come in contact with the face if the smoker likes to hold it in their mouth, but wearing glasses or sunglasses can easily help with this, and stop this slight effect from happening.- tobacco_large_Latvia_skin_aging_01_lav_medium.jpg (25.8 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
"Smoking Damages Your Lungs"
- bn200829138.jpg (79.52 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
Of course they chose to use the worst case scenario of a lifelong 80-a-day+ smoker. Compared to someone who worked in a coal mine, or in a metal works, a paint factory, or even worse!, these lungs are in good condition. If you want to clear your lungs, go outside and practice deep breathing, called Pranayama. This will open up the lungs and correct a bad posture, so that you can breath deeply and use the whole lung instead of just the top part. It is also important to remember that every cell in the body - including the lungs - regenerates multiple times over a lifetime. If you slouch and are inactive, then there is no need to grow the lungs, so sit up straight and open a window. Again, consumption will vary from person to person, so if you smoke less than 10 a day, this will be irrelevant.
"Smoking Causes Premature Death"
- PicFFF.jpg (20.37 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
Nobody knowns when they are going to die, so to say smoking reduces their natural life-span is just a theory which can never be proven. Smoking is a comfort and also keeps the mind active and staves off boredom, which all helps to extend a persons life. If a person has been born with weak parts of the body and dies early, they could be in their 20's or 30's. Has smoking caused that? Well it would be difficult to prove that a few years of smoking caused the person to die 50 years ahead of their time. I have personally worked in retirement homes where there are rooms of elderly people all chain-smoking, having nothing better to do with their time. They want to move on the the next world, but they just cant, even chain-smoking, as cigs are so harmless it does absolutely nothing to them. These people then pass away naturally - perhaps in their sleep, and mostly from complications which are totally unrelated to smoking. These people lived a long time because their will was strong, and this overcomes body weakness. Sometimes the will to survive starts with the will to get out of bed and have cigarette in the morning, and this keeps the body going.
"Yes people everyday die before their lifetime, and some of those people also happened to smoke.... which is no big deal, right? It could happen to anybody, its even happening right now!" --
Bill Hicks.
"Smoking Causes Throat Cancers the size of footballs to appear on your neck"
- alg_smoking.jpg (27.22 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
If this were true, we would all know of someone, somewhere, who had this happen to them. In truth only 1 person in 65 million will get a throat cancer, and have it grow to the size of a football.
"Smoking causes Mouth and Throat cancer"
- mouth-throat-cancer.jpg (57.08 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
Not content by saying cancers are the size of footballs, in this case we see a small hole instead. This can happen to some people who smoke way too many cigs, and end up like Silvia Sydney in Beetlejuice. If you smoke enough to destroy your voice box, then perhaps its time to cut back a little?
It may surprise you to learn that the human body is infected by hundreds of little cancer cells every day. It fights off millions of cancer cells over a lifetime. If the body is strong then no problem. If the immune system is weak from a bad diet, caffeine dehydration, alcohol use, or lack of exercise, then these cells can find a little home to grow. There are lots of things which cause cancer, and almost every household cleaner is carcinogenic, as well as some paints, solvents, and even liquid paper. If you work as a Taxi driver, the chances are you will get a lung full of diesel and gas fumes each time you stop at a set of lights, and this is many MANY times more toxic than a cigarette. Diesel and Gas are based on Petroleum, which is derived from oil. It is therefore much safer to breath in a few dry leaves in a paper tube, than oil based derivatives. And this extends to the new Vaping technology too, as these are meant to be safe only for a few weeks of use, and not a few months or years.
"Protect Your Children, Dont Make Them Breath You Smoke"
- apm.jpg (130.14 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
Unless you force your kids to smoke, there is no way to 'make' your kids breath your smoke, as by the time it reaches their lungs, the smoke from a cigarette is x100 times weaker than the smoke breathed in by a smoker. Passive Smoking has been blamed for a lot over the years, mainly due to when smoking was allowed in enclosed spaces like shops, cinemas, restaurants, aeroplanes and theatres. Now that this is no longer an issue, simply opening a widow will make the smoke one million times more diluted in the atmosphere, to become almost unnoticeable, and far less harmful than sniffing Marker Pens, or smelling the burnt carbon offerings of the Sunday Roast.
Mankind has been bending over smoke and fires for at least 10,000 years, often using not very dry wood and leaves, and sometimes charcoal and coal, all of which are many times more harmful and carcinogenic (yes, even a campfire) than the filtered smoke from tobacco. After 10,000 years of coal and wood fires, volcanoes and swamps, the air today has never been cleaner! But there is also another angle to this sort of headline, in that it suggests children are more likely to take up smoking if the parents smoke. They bring up facts like: “There are around 4,300 children between 11 and 17 years old who are regular smokers in Devon alone (2016)". What they do not take into account is the way children will do what they want to do, and especially if they think they are not supposed to do it. So kids start smoking at a young age no matter if the parents are smokers or not. If anything, kids will often own up to smoking in front of smoking parents, but might keep it hidden from non-smoking parents, keeping the smoking as a practice of Daring and Adventure. The more they try to keep smoking away from kids, the more they sneak away with cigs and want to smoke more!
"Smoking Makes Your Breath Smell"
I am going to stop this here before it gets too silly. I used to have very bad breath before I started smoking, and now my breath smells sweet just like tobacco. Thanks to Tobacco, my bad breath is now Cured and gone forever! Thank You Tobacco!
The Reasons They Used?
They said this was to ease the poverty among poor people, by forcing them to quit smoking. This is firstly assuming that tobacco is most commonly consumed among the poor, when in fact rich or poor, if you smoke you smoke. Secondly it assumed slogans will force people to quit- where there is no evidence - and it can even make cigarettes look more dangerous and exciting. Lastly it assumes that if the poor stopped smoking, they would have more money. As we all know, as soon as we give up one thing, the spare cash quickly gets absorbed into another. I gave up my car, and so I should have saved £2000 a year on tax, fuel, repairs and insurance - but in reality I feel no richer and actually feel poorer for not having a vehicle here ready and waiting to use. I gave up my house and moved into a small flat. I gave up Gas and now I only use electricity. I gave up so much, and yet my wallet is still the same. People stretch to afford things, and this means things in life can be afforded. In the meantime, only a few people are giving up cigs in order to save a few pennies. For the rest of us, they increased the price of cigarettes by over 50% - so that the 'poor' smokers are paying the government double what they paid before, to be able to smoke. If anything, this makes the poor poorer, and increases the poverty and humanitarian gap in society.
They also said it was about health, and protecting people from damaging themselves. OW! Sorry I just hurt my knee, oops my mind slipped. Yes, they say natures leaves are so harmful that they want to ban smoking from the face of this planet. I for one think it would be a very sad day when these do-gooders get their way, and we lose a traditional social mechanism enjoyed for over 4,000 years. As we have seen on other threads, smoking is not so harmful that it must be banned, yet this is their plan.
The Law
The law states that the government will not got involved with the politics and marketing of branded high street items, and by that I mean, nobody would ask a car tyre manufacturer or brake service mechanic to visibly display a health warning on the misuse of their items - like "Burnt Rubber Kills!" or "Late Braking Costs Lives!". And also to control their packaging, colours, signs, and adverts, and even in some cases change their trademarked secret list of ingredients.
The Verdict
Australia was the first country that introduced plain packaging. It seems that after two years of plain packaging, these were the results:
- Youth smoking rates have not declined. In fact they are now at a 7-year high.
- Tobacco sales have not declined. In fact, the number of smokers consuming more than 11 cigarettes a day has increased.
- The more prominent health warnings, have not become ‘more effective’ following the introduction of plain packaging.
- The illegal trade in tobacco products has increased from 11.8% of total consumption in 2012, to 14.7% in 2014 – a rise of almost 25%. The illegal tobacco trade causes a loss of tax revenues, a loss of shop sales and a loss of control over youngsters’ access to tobacco products. Criminals don’t act responsibly like retailers do. So young people will have even greater access to cheap, illegal tobacco, which they will be able to buy with “no questions asked”.
- A9B.jpg (73.74 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
References:
www.ash.org.uk/current-policy-issues/ad ... -packaging -- (Charting Smoking Law)
www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Support- ... story.html --- (Warning: contains quite a few Press Lies)
www.tralliance.org.uk/plain-packaging/ --- (The Truth about the Effect of Plain Packaging)