But the war is still on-going. Here I’m talking about the government’s decision not to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products.
I think that the government has just realised that 20% of the populace smoke and are terrified that this could be a disaster for them at election time if those smokers for instance were to vote for UKIP.
Thanks to all that fought this creeping nannying assault on us smokers.
Especially:
And everyone else who fought this stupid idea.
I think not.
Plain packaging smoking materials, will not for one moment stop me smoking. I started smoking at school when someone offered me one. Although I went a violent shade of green and coughed for England, I was pleasantly surprised at the feeling of relaxation it gave me.
In all my life I’ve never been seduced by the colour or style of the packaging. It’s always been about the quality of the product and the price.
Of course now the price, is everything, and that’s why the antismoking Tobacco control industry and the government are heading into a world of hurt with the idea of plain packaging.
Which brings me onto why plain packaging should be abandoned.
Counterfeiting.
The health zealots insist that this is unlikely to happen. They have to say that as otherwise their whole premise falls.
Here are some facts about counterfeiting that I found interesting, especially as it comes from the garden of England, Kent.
A recent survey by MSIntelligence revealed Gillingham topped the table for having the worst habit when it comes to smoking counterfeit cigarettes, with more than half being illegal.
It found 54.5% of packets thrown away in the town had avoided tax, while Poole in Dorset came second (50.83%) and Worthing in Sussex third (49.24%). Mr Turner, who has owned the shop for the past 18 months, said: “When I heard about the plans for plain packaging I thought it was loopy.
Now I don’t live in the Medway area so unfortunately can’t avail myself of a cheaper product. But I would if I could. (If there’s bootlegger in West Kent reading this then please let me know).
These counterfeit ciggies can’t be that bad as I haven’t seen any reports that the people of Medway are dying like flies yet.
It seems that the government will be making a rod for it’s own back if it introduces plain packaging as revenues from tobacco products will fall dramatically.
For those antismoker out there. Mull on this.
Supposed costs for all smoking ailments costs the NHS £2.7 billion per annum.
However, revenue from tobacco products is £11 billion. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. (Oh I forgot, you’re antismoking bigots).
Believe it or not, smokers are subsidising the ailments of the antismokers.
So what if all smokers quit tomorrow.
The government would have to make up the shortfall.
Working out on the back of a fag packet (Natch), it would work out that every man, women, and child, would have to pay £250 to make up the shortfall.
So a family with two adults and two kids would be taxed £1,000 more per year.
This is the price you will pay if you're an antismoker. I hope you can afford it. I shall laugh like a drain when I read that dreadful Arnott from ASH has has her house repossessed because she can;t afford her mortgage.
It will serve you right.
They never ever think of the consequences until after the fact. And they’ve been warned what would happen.
British undercover detectives in Birmingham have found cigarettes containing human excrement, asbestos, mold and dead flies, as counterfeit cigs flood into the UK at huge risk to public health.
Private eyes working for the tobacco industry have spent weeks rummaging through litter bins and scouring pavements for cigarette butts to access the scale of the black market in England’s midlands region, according to the Birmingham newspaper the Sunday Mercury.
Operation EDPC – which stands for Empty Discarded Pack Collection – was funded by Swiss-based brand protection company MS Intelligence – found that 31% of cigarettes were either bogus or bought abroad.
But then the UK border agency are getting on top of the problem. NOT.
Investigators were shocked by the sheer volume of the trade, which has more than doubled in the last 12 months. A similar study last year found only 14% of packets were fakes or had been smuggled into the country.
The trade in counterfeit cigs is big business. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimate that non UK duty-paid cigarettes cost the tax payer up to £3.6 billion during the financial year 2009-2010.
That 3.6 billion is more than enough to cover the cost of so called smoking related diseases. (2.7 billion quoted today by the Chief medical Officer).
When will the Government realise that they’re being led down a very slippery road with their blind obedience to what ever the Tobacco control industry tells them? They don’t seem to realise that the public will take them to account, when it all eventually goes wrong and people start to die from their blind obedience to the public health lobby.
As some of you know. I’m a smoker.
Shortly there is going to be a parliamentary meeting to discuss whether plain packaging of tobacco products should be introduced.
Both sides of the argument have been mustering support for their relevant viewpoints before the closing day for submissions. Tomorrow.
Yesterday the “Tobacco Control Industry” had only managed to garner 75,000 replies in support, whereas the “Hands of our packs” had managed to collect at least 235,000. However the plain packs puritans are not known for the British sense of fair play and have resorted to grubby underhand tactics.
Having seen that their efforts were failing they’ve now resorted to using a Brazilian origin web site to try and reinforce their oppressive message.
You can read more of the story here.
And before any Anti-smokers think about nipping over there to sign the petition, I suggest you think long and hard before you do.
Do you like a drink or two, or maybe you like your food a little too much?
Let me tell you. There are other single issue groups that are looking to see how this tobacco control template pans out. Don’t be surprised if your favourite tipple or gastronomic delight is sold to you with a plain label,covered in health warnings and graphic pictures of diseased livers and high blood pressure warnings.
You have been warned. Soon you will be living in a grey world where all the fun has been removed by the state.
Or maybe not.
Empty tables, grumpy customers, and worried owners were the common picture in nightclubs and bars during the first weekend of the full smoking ban in public spaces in Bulgaria.
According to the Cross news agency, lines of people smoking outside were seen near some of the most popular establishments in the capital Sofia with some of them having no more than 7-8 visitors inside during what was previously known as their peak hours.
"If this remains the same, we will soon go bankrupt," terrified owners are quoted saying.
Remember how the Tobacco Control Industry* said that wouldn't happen after the 2007 ban in the UK. Their spin on the ban was that non-smokers would fill the pubs in their droves. All I see is boarded up pubs the length and breadths off our high streets.
A few weekends ago I visited the nearest pub to me due to it being a sunny day and I had guests. Outside the pub were tables with about 80% of them being smokers. Inside there was just 2 people. The tenant of the pub is doing his best, but admitted to me that he is losing the battle when the weather is inclement.
Back to Bulgaria.
At least they don’t have as many prod nosed Fascists that we have patrolling their streets. (No apologies for calling them fascists. After all they are following the exact same strategy that Adolph Hitler promulgated).
Cross further reports that a number of owners of bars and nightclubs in the second largest city of Plovdiv have allowed their customers to smoke despite the steep fines. Their boldness is grounded in the fact that there are only four teams of health inspectors with two people each checking more than 4 000 night establishments in the city.
"We were waiting for you and thought you would never come," the owners have joked upon the arrival of the inspectors.
If only we had a few more publicans like Nick Hogan to have stood up against the smoking police. we might have more of our favourite watering holes alive and well.
I’m just going to pour myself another Whisky and have a fag. (For American readers a fag is a cigarette).
*Apparently they hate the word industry. Tough shit. The cap fits.
