Plain packaging on cigarettes

Buzz Killington the third

So it's been agreed and will go ahead. I don't see how this will solve anything at all and it will only help boost the black market trade. Is it really the right way to go?

nelly17

I really dont think it will make a difference - I'm a smoker and it would not make one jot of difference to me

The Pheasant2

Might jumpstart the revival of the cigarette case! That'd be nice

Sky King

I think they should include a slip of paper with an arbitrary insult in each packet of 20.

*Opens packet*

"You are a c'unt"

*Sighs*

Tiddlypeeps

How will this boost the black market trade? Do you actually know anybody that would be bothered finding someone to sell them cigarettes illegally because they miss the pretty packaging? I can see people going to the bother because of price, but I can't see packaging effecting that one bit.

That being said I don't think this move will achieve anything, I don't think many people started smoking because they like the pretty packaging.

Big Nasty

I can see them being totally banned by 2030 and going above €20 a pack in the interm.

Not as much starting smoking these days and the rest of us smokers will be nearly dead.

Buzz Killington the third

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

How will this boost the black market trade? Do you actually know anybody that would be bothered finding someone to sell them cigarettes illegally because they miss the pretty packaging? I can see people going to the bother because of price, but I can't see packaging effecting that one bit.

Shops have been found to have been selling counterfeit cigarettes in the past. With this step, it will make it even easier.

To add to that point, it will make it easier and cheaper for cigarettes to be counterfeited which will make it cheaper to buy them.

OldNotWIse

I enjoy smoking when I drink. I dont give a toss what the government do to the packaging. If its plain boxes, so be it. If its the ones with the gruesome pictures, also cool. We joke about collecting an entire set, like we used to swap stickers. I'll give you my floppy penis for your blackened gums? Ooh cool you got the sperm one, I've wanted that for ages

Gannicus

Its not going to achieve anything. Sure at the moment you're not allowed display cigarettes behind the counter anyway so making companies put a plain package on it will not do anything.

RayM

It probably won't make many existing smokers quit, but it sends out a message to one of the most genuinely evil industries in the world that their branding, their image and their products are no longer acceptable. And for that reason alone, it's a good thing.

Karl Stein

In before 'wah wah nanny state turk er fegs' numb-skull reflex.

If this has the chance of reducing the harm cigarettes do it is to be welcomed. Cigarettes are a curse.

They should never be banned but advertising them should be banned across the board (including on the box).

kneemos

Tried a couple of those counterfeit cigerretts when used to smoke,seriously rough.

wazky

Big Nasty wrote: »

I can see them being totally banned by 2030.

Not a hope, worth a fortune to them in tax, which is all they care about really.

The whole health aspect is just a sideline.

Buzz Killington the third

OldNotWIse wrote: »

We joke about collecting an entire set, like we used to swap stickers. I'll give you my floppy penis for your blackened gums? Ooh cool you got the sperm one, I've wanted that for ages

They're the eircom call cards of the 21st century!

Lenin Skynard

It won't make a blind bit of difference. The biggest benefit is that maybe the health minister will actually get on with the job of fixing the HSE and move on from this time wasting crap.

Davarus Walrus

Plain packaging won't really do much I'd say. You'd be far less likely to start smoking if it had a picture of Ray D'Arcy on the side of the box with a message saying 'Ray says don't be a fool. Don't smoke'.

danniemcq

The Pheasant2 wrote: »

Might jumpstart the revival of the cigarette case! That'd be nice

Its a conspiracy orchestrated by Big Cigarette Case.

OldNotWIse

Buzz Killington the third wrote: »

They're the eircom call cards of the 21st century!

Haha used to run into every phonebox when I was a kid to collect used call cards Now I'm foraging in ashtrays looking for used cigarettes :P

The Backwards Man

Of all the stupid reasons to start smoking, if anyone ever told me they started because of the attractive packaging I'd fcuking batter them!

jamo2oo9

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

How will this boost the black market trade? Do you actually know anybody that would be bothered finding someone to sell them cigarettes illegally because they miss the pretty packaging? I can see people going to the bother because of price, but I can't see packaging effecting that one bit.

That being said I don't think this move will achieve anything, I don't think many people started smoking because they like the pretty packaging.

White cigerette boxes would be a lot easier to make instead of the brand, logo and all of that. With white packaging, all that's left to do is forge the government sticker...

briancarrol692

The black market smokes are rough and i dont think this will change anything.

mikom

The emperors new clothes.

Well done Dr. Reilly; have another rasher sandwich.

Alf. A. Male

I don't know if plain packaging will help or not, but the picture of that bloke's throat tumour is starting to affect me

OldNotWIse

Alf. A. Male wrote: »

I don't know if plain packaging will help or not, but the picture of that bloke's throat tumour is starting to affect me

His skinny moustache gets to me more....

gillholmes

i dont think this will change anything to be honest.

rathbone

Is there any indication of when this might come in? Is it a done deal already or is there a possibility of it being turned over?

darkpagandeath

Wont bother me now i gave up 2 months ago I'm on electronic now use it very little too i have not used 1 5 refill pack yet.

mopey

the only difference it will make is youll have to stand there a little longer in the shop while they go looking for your tobacco as you cant memorise brands by colour

cant for the life of me see the point

shopaholic01

I'd actually prefer plain packaging. I might start smoking again when they bring it in!

Lu Tze

They should bring it in for confectionery, considering the rising child obesity problem, and children may actually be influenced by the colourful packaging.

Cant see it making any impact on existing smokers

TPD

OldNotWIse wrote: »

His skinny moustache gets to me more....

It's as if he's grown the moustache to try and direct attention away from the throat...

Poor fecker.

Call Me Jimmy

Karl Stein wrote: »

In before 'wah wah nanny state turk er fegs' numb-skull reflex.

If this has the chance of reducing the harm cigarettes do it is to be welcomed. Cigarettes are a curse.

They should never be banned but advertising them should be banned across the board (including on the box).

I stand to have egg on my face but I doubt a single smoker cares if there is a branding on the box, why would they say 'turk er fegs' either as they are not taking anyone's cigerettes away.

Smithwicks Man

What a pointless move... Sure you can't even see the packaging until you've bought the box as they're all behind the counter.

foggy_lad

Buzz Killington the third wrote: »

So it's been agreed and will go ahead. I don't see how this will solve anything at all and it will only help boost the black market trade. Is it really the right way to go?

It will cut down on a lot of the counterfeit cigarettes because any packs with the normal colourful packaging can be examined and confiscated if found to be counterfeit or illegal. People will have to be very careful when taking the dodgy fag boxes out to get a cigarette.

Amirani

Lu Tze wrote: »

They should bring it in for confectionery, considering the rising child obesity problem, and children may actually be influenced by the colourful packaging.

Cant see it making any impact on existing smokers

Confectionery isn't inherently bad. Eating too much of it is the problem.

ScumLord

I don't see how this will do anything but increase cigarette companies profits. Less to pay on packaging.


It's a complete waste of time and resources of the government.

tommy2bad

It;s already being reconsidered in Australia who were the first to bring it in. Smoking rates increased and smugglers made more money as the packs were cheaper to reproduce.
Jimmy has a bee in his bonnet about smoking. Perhaps he's jealous of M. Martins success with the smoking ban which did do some good tbf, though it made no difference to smoking rates, it did shut up the non smokers whining.
I don't think they really want smoking to drop much below the 20% rate, too much money to be lost in tax and spent in pensions, if they did want to reduce smoking they would admit that after education nothing has impacted smoking rates and start a policy of risk reduction, promote ecigs and Swedish Snus as alternatives to smoking.

Idbatterim

if it doesnt make any difference why are the tobacco companies fighting tooth and nail to stop it?

end of the road

RayM wrote: »

It probably won't make many existing smokers quit

agree.

RayM wrote: »

it sends out a message to one of the most genuinely evil industries in the world that their branding, their image and their products are no longer acceptable.

no it doesn't, and to me even as a non smoker their branding, their image and their products are acceptable

RayM wrote: »

for that reason alone, it's a good thing.

its a waste of time, educate people on the effects, if they choose to take it up after that, thats their business

Amirani

Idbatterim wrote: »

if it doesnt make any difference why are the tobacco companies fighting tooth and nail to stop it?

Reduces their ability to compete with each other anyway.

RayM

ScumLord wrote: »

I don't see how this will do anything but increase cigarette companies profits. Less to pay on packaging.


It's a complete waste of time and resources of the government.

If either of those things were true, the tobacco industry wouldn't be pumping a huge amount of money into their attempts to block this legislation.

I don't understand how anybody can object to plain packaging. It won't deprive smokers of their 'right' to maintain their addiction. Like the ban on tobacco advertising, it's simply prevents a hideously evil industry from using any kind of colourful or positive imagery to market their dangerous, carcinogenic products. The tobacco industry makes its money by getting people hooked on carcinogens before they're legally old enough to consent to such a life-changing decision. Anything that hurts those cunts can only be a good thing.

end of the road

foggy_lad wrote: »

It will cut down on a lot of the counterfeit cigarettes because any packs with the normal colourful packaging can be examined and confiscated if found to be counterfeit or illegal. People will have to be very careful when taking the dodgy fag boxes out to get a cigarette.

might be the case at the start but eventually it will make it harder to detect

tommy2bad

Idbatterim wrote: »

if it doesnt make any difference why are the tobacco companies fighting tooth and nail to stop it?

Intellectual Property. This destroys the tobacco companies branding. Should they at some time in the future produce a product that isn't tobacco they will still want to capitalise on the value of their brands.
It also denies them the opportunity to compete with each other for customers with what are ecientialy identical products.
If it purpose is to punish tobacco companies then it a good way to do it, other than that it's pointless. It serves no public health interest.
The idea that the state should engage in punishing companies deemed pariahs by means other than prohibition and penalties is a dangerous one. I don't usually use slippery slope reasoning but in this case I think it's worth mentioning that the methods used to reduce smoking are being proposed for food. While their may be good reason to change eating habits, copying methods designed to eliminate something and applying them to eating is evidence of the blindness and idealogical driven motives of these public health quangos. Bans, graphic warnings or plain packs have no effect on the problem. Public health works best by educating people of the dangers and offering alternatives.

end of the road

RayM wrote: »

If either of those things were true, the tobacco industry wouldn't be pumping a huge amount of money into their attempts to block this legislation.

I don't understand how anybody can object to plain packaging. It won't deprive smokers of their 'right' to maintain their addiction. Like the ban on tobacco advertising, it's simply prevents a hideously evil industry from using any kind of colourful or positive imagery to market their dangerous, carcinogenic products. The tobacco industry makes its money by getting people hooked on carcinogens before they're legally old enough to consent to such a life-changing decision. Anything that hurts those ***** can only be a good thing.

you need to stop reading these anti-smoking extremist websites

fleet_admiral

*lights benson

RayM

end of the road wrote: »

you need to stop reading these anti-smoking extremist websites

I've never read an anti-smoking 'extremist' website. I have, however, watched a close family member die a lingering, painful death from a smoking-related illness, so it's an issue that I feel quite strongly about.

pa990

Isn't everyone switching to eCigs ?

vaping is the way to go at the moment before its regulated and taxed to high heaven.

DEFTLEFTHAND

When is this change due to take place?

end of the road

RayM wrote: »

I've never read an anti-smoking 'extremist' website. I have, however, watched a close family member die a lingering, painful death from a smoking-related illness, so it's an issue that I feel quite strongly about.

fair enough, i'm sorry to hear that

No Pants

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

I don't think many people started smoking because they like the pretty packaging.

I really don't understand how anyone starts smoking nowadays. Who the hell thinks it's a good life choice.

Man In The Nip

From daily observation, It baffles me how many people still smoke in 2014. You're mad bastards, genuinely.