Tuesday 17 January 2012

Precedent? What Precedent?

Late on parade, busy day. Here's an interesting one for you, though.

Remember this bold assertion from Smokefree Action's briefing - first, of many to come, mentions here - on why everyone should be incredibly happy at their attempt to uglify Britain that little bit further with plain packaging for tobacco?
Myth #7: It may be tobacco today but other consumer products will follow

FACT: Tobacco is not like any other product, it is the only legal consumer product on the market which is lethal when used as intended. That is why the UK and over 170 other governments have signed up to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which places legal obligations on governments to strictly regulate tobacco products. Plain packs for tobacco will not therefore set a precedent for other consumer products.
Yeah, well just to emphasise this unwillingness to encourage other vested interests to follow their lead, here is the current home page of the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies website (click to enlarge, natch).

On the pollution link, Professor John Britton - a conspiracy theorist anti-smoker - divorces the subject entirely from the 'unique' issue of tobacco.
"Essentially, pollution outdoors is probably doing much the same as tobacco smoke indoors,"
The Responsibility Deal link also makes it quite clear that tobacco control can never be accused of encouraging precedents.
"There's no evidence that voluntary approaches work." Using smoking as an example [Professor Anna Gilmore, an expert in public health at Bath University and the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies] said: "The internal records of the tobacco companies became available when they were sued. They show that companies pushed voluntary approaches specifically in order to avoid binding legislation."
Nope. No hint of precedents being fostered there. either.

Meanwhile, at the Facebook vodka link, co-architect of the smoking ban Vivienne Nathanson waxes lyrical about how alcohol should suffer the same treatment as tobacco ...
"This shows how the alcohol industry needs to be regulated in order to curb alcohol misuse," she stated.
... whilst anti-tobacco propagandist Linda Bauld says something vaguely familiar.
"Companies lie (sic) Diageo are wanting to recruit drinkers of a young age and using Facebook is a key way of getting to children."
Probably because it is.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said "The evidence is clear that packaging helps to recruit smokers, so it makes sense to consider having less attractive packaging. It's wrong that children are being attracted to smoke by glitzy designs on packets."
Conclusive evidence, then, that tobacco controllers are solely interested in tackling tobacco harm, and would abhor their methods being replicated towards 'other consumer products', so they would.

I mean, what a ridiculous myth that is, eh?


7 comments:

Mr A said...

So Lansley says, "The evidence is clear...."

Once, just once, I would love these bozos to name the study. Cite it, you know, like real scientists do.

Of course, we all know that it doesn't exist.

Then again, even more than this, I'd like a journalist to actually put that question to them.

Oh well, I can dream....

Anonymous said...

I notice they are also pushing a new drug called Tabex, guaranteed to re-wire the smokers' brains so they start thinking the same as government tells them to think.

Anonymous said...

"glitzy"

Thats a word I haven't heard used in general conversation since the days of Dynasty and shoulder pads, and rarely even then.


"glitzy packaging" + cigarettes
1,870 results

"A British Heart Foundation survey shows that 'glitzy' packaging can dupe smokers (particularly young ones) into thinking cigarettes are 'healthy'".
http://www.ash.org.uk/media-room/news/ash-daily-news/:ash-daily-news-for-03-january-2012

"glitzy packets"
519 results

"glitzy packaging"
18,100

"glitzy"
10,600,000 results

[Back-formation from glitzy, flashy, showy, probably from German glitzern, to glitter, from Middle High German glitzen, to shine, from Old High German glzan; see ghel-2 in Indo-European roots.]
glitzi·ness n.
glitzy adj.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/glitzy

I don't know, perhaps it's just me.

* glances at dull brown tobacco pouch with large Smoking Kills on the front and picture of a body lying in a mortuary on the back.

Funny word to use.

Perhaps they haven't seen a real life packet of cigarettes since the 80's.

Or maybe they just have peculiarly Gothic tastes.

Rose

Tattyfalarr said...

According to Tobacco Timeline; "1492-10-15: Columbus Mentions Tobacco. "We found a man in a canoe going from Santa Maria to Fernandia. He had with him some dried leaves which are in high value among them, for a quantity of it was brought to me at San Salvador" -- Christopher Columbus' Journal "
...
So, someone who had never smoked, didn't know what tobacco was and would not have noticed it otherwise ...was attracted to it BY THE PRICE.
...
Kids today don't want to wear cheap trainers or use cheap mobile phones.
...
There's a lesson in there, somewhere :)

mr a said...

We found a man in a canoe going from Santa Maria to Fernandia. He had with him some dried leaves which are in high
Then again, even more than this, I'd like a journalist to actually put that question to them

probably from German glitzern, to glitter, from Middle High German glitzen, to shine, from Old High German glzan; see ghel-2 in Indo-European

Anonymous said...

“For example,I can’t imagine her allowing the elderly and infirm to be made to stand outside to smoke for a second, unlike our current PM who doesn’t seem to have noticed.”

During her tenure, she relied heavily on the support and advice of her husband, He was not only an intelligent and successful businessman, but also a warm and humorous human being. Even had Mrs T not noticed, Denis would have done, and most certainly have brought it to her attention.

The politicians we are saddled with today are intellectual pygmies by comparison. They care not one whit about the people they govern, only about how the next soundbite or photo-op will advance their progress up the greasy pole.

dick said...

“For example,I can’t imagine her allowing the elderly and infirm to be made to stand outside to smoke for a second, unlike our current PM who doesn’t seem to have noticed.”

During her tenure, she relied heavily on the support and advice of her husband, He was not only an intelligent and successful businessman

The politicians we are saddled with today are intellectual pygmies by comparison. They care not one whit about the people they govern, only