What are your thoughts on plain packaging for tobacco packs? (In case you don't know what plain pack

[Pavor Clauditis]

So anyway, I know this is slightly old news but several places have now started adopting plain packaging cigarette packs. In case you don't know what that is...

Plain packaging is packaging that requires the removal of all branding (colors, imagery, logos, and trademarks) permitting manufacturers to print only the brand name in a mandated size, font and place on the pack. And the thing is...these images they replace with are completely disgusting and revolting. So yeah, I wouldn't recommend googling images.

As a former smoker (I recently quit), I have mixed feelings. While I think people not smoking and reduced numbers of new smokers are a good thing, I do believe they have a right to...you know, not be forced to put disgusting, gruesome images on their cigarette packs. Are other companies forced to add these? Is McDonalds forced to add a picture of a diseased colon on their packaging? Nope.

While I understand it, I do believe it's...slightly unaffective. While it probably would've worked for some people planning on starting smoking (which is a good thing), I really don't think it's going to stop most people from smoking, or helping current smokers quit.

I know if I was still a smoker, and went to pick up a pack of cigarettes and saw that, I'd be slightly irritated and I do not believe this would help me quit.

This is my opinion. However, this is about what you guys think! So, what is your opinion, Chaos!?

 

[Rusty]

Putting images of cancerous organs on packages is a pretty popular thing around the world. Not necessarily effective. Overseas, we'd collect the damn things like trading cards.

 

[Zoltan Rarsk]

Putting images of cancerous organs on packages is a pretty popular thing around the world. Not necessarily effective. Overseas, we'd collect the damn things like trading cards.

Hey, did you get the new shiny "Cancerous growth on lung?" It's got 30 attack points!

I'm fine with it, but I don't think it's the most effective way of deterring possible smokers.

 

[Rusty]

Didn't stop me smoking a carton a week of Marlboro Reds for nine months straight.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

It's been the law here for going on 15 years.

Whether it works, I'm not sure, but it doesn't hurt.

 

[Jsc]

I heard today that bacon causes cancer too. Maybe that McDonalds packaging change ain't too far behind.

 

[Rusty]

About that bacon thing.

It slightly increases the chances of colorectal cancer by about 8-10% over the course of your lifetime, assuming you eat 2 pieces a day every day. Your baseline is about 5-6%, just by virtue of having a colon and rectum.

 

[Jsc]

[member="Rusty"]

We're doomed.

 

[Mak Manto]

I've been smoking five years and it's the worst decision of my life to ever start. If plain packaging helps with people quitting or never starting, go right ahead.

Now, here are my three major complaints...

First, like Pavor said, why not do this with anyone that we know is unhealthy? What about McDonald's? Everyone knows it's unhealthy. Even McDonald's knows their food is unhealthy, because when two girls sued the company because of their health problems from eating there, McDonald's lawyers even stated they knew what they were risking since it's universal knowledge of how unhealthy their food is.

So, why not do it for anything that is going to be detrimental to your health? How about alcohol? Artificial sweeteners? Diet soda?

My second problem is this campaign on smoking...

I don't have a problem with it at all when what they're doing, but my problem is that they're focusing too much on just cigarettes. The number of teenagers trying cigarettes for the first time has dropped into the single digits. What's more dangerous is kids are doing more dangerous smoking practices, such as hookah smoking.

That's about a hundred times more dangerous than a cigarette...

My third complaint is the demonetization of smokers, especially with those Truth ads. The one I hate most is the "left swipe" commercial, where they're telling you to avoid any smokers you see on a dating cell phone app by sliding their picture to the undesirables if they're seen smoking in the picture.

That ticks me off, because it's telling people who don't smoke that if you know a smoker, they're undesirables, that you shouldn't be with them and that it's your goal to humiliate them that they smoke.

 

[Pavor Clauditis]

From what I've seen, the majority of teenage smokers are under the false impression that it wont happen to them. That they wont get cancer and they wont get addicted and they'll remain a social smoker for a few months until they choose to quit. Now, keep in mind, this is still just from my personal experience but when I started, I told myself I'd just be a social smoker.

Then that went on to smoking everyday, multiple times. A disgusting package would definitely not prevent me from smoking, and I assume it'd be the same for at least a few other people.

Hell, if I saw an image of someone's decaying jaw on my pack of Pall Malls or Marlboros, I'd be pissed off. Some would probably resort to rolling their own cigarettes. I really don't think it's going to prevent the majority of smokers from smoking.

And yeah, The Truth ads piss me off as well, [member="Mak Manto"]. While smoking is dangerous and harmful, they exaggerate and I still hold the belief that people should have a right to consume tobacco. Be it cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chew, hookah, ect.