Cigarettes "under the counter".
 

The Times had a headline this morning saying "Cigarettes to be sold under the counter" and describing how supermarkets and corner shops are to be banned from displaying tobacco products in an attempt to dissuade children from starting smoking. Apparently similar moves are taking place in Ontario (Canada), Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory (what a cumbersome mouthful that is!)

But, as a reformed smoker myself (reformed because I've seen too many relatives and friends killed by smoking - it really does happen to real people who you actually know) I do wonder whether such a ban will make any real difference. We've had How-to-Stop-Smoking threads on RYL before, to which I've contributed, and I've been left feeling that my arguments/blandishments have mattered not one jot or tittle (still less one tit or jottle!)

The average RYL smoker seems to me, admittedly without a detailed survey, to be female (but most members are), in her teens (ditto) and pretty well convinced she's immortal. And some, while acknowledging the risk, seem to say Sod It, if it happens it happens.

But if this latest Nanny-State ruling does come to pass and, if I'm right that it'll make no significant difference, just what would it actually take to make you stop smoking I may just pass the best answer on to the Department of Health so that they can hear from the real world!

Tony.

This is being applied to england only right now, as far as im aware. But if we are going to smoke, we are going to smoke, i dont think anything the goverment does can stop people really. Upping the age limit, banning from public places, rasing the price, putting warnings on packs for what? to make us quit.

The goverment cant make our choices, i mean whats going to happen when they tackel underage drinking? get alcohol to be served under the counter as well.

The goverment is just mad

I think it's a good idea personally. I mean, yes there are always going to be smokers, but for a lot of people, it's 'out of sight, out of mind'.

Think of the many, many people who have managed to quit and then, while they're nipping down to the dairy to grab milk, they seea wall of tobacco products and lose their will to stay off them.

I dunno, at least if you can't see them you're less likely to buy them for the sake of it.
But it won't make anyone stop.
I'm trying to stop because quite frankly I've realized how pathetic it makes me look and if it doesn't even make you look cool then what is the point in slowly killing yourself?! (That is my poor attempt at being humorous, feel free to laugh AT me)
All my friends that smoke (and that's a LOT of them) are obnoxious teenagers...so the government have **** all chance of getting through to them.
It also seems we do it a lot because there's not much else to do so maybe they should work on that?

I think it could potentially be a good thing to discourage young people from smoking... I think it's harder to stop when you've been smoking since you were young... I know that's the case for me.

Anyway just my 2 cents worth
*gets off soap box*

It won't work.

The smoking in public places ban didn't work.
Raising the legal age didn't work.

I'm 17. I've smoked for two years.
The only thing thats prevented me from smoking when I've wanted to, has been lack of money and running out in college.

Cocaine is a class A drug with heafty fines behind it for people related to it. But I know some people in college who could get me some if I ever asked. Not that thats related, but however much something is banned, people won't just go "Ok, I won't do that anymore"

People LIKE things that are bad for them.

How about you just give up.

I highly doubt this will work. It's not seeing packs of cigarettes in the shops that make youths want to smoke, its peer pressure. As for adults, we enjoy it/we are addicted - we know the dangers, but let's face it.... people aren't cancelling their holidays to the carribean even though they know that sun gives them cancer so I dont see why we should give up smoking. Ok so a smoker is more likely to get cancer from smoking than the sun im just trying to show that we all do stuff even though we know it's dangerous for us. My papa died of cancer and he was a very healthy man, kept fit, ate well and never touched a cig in his life! I dont see how "undercounter" sales, upped pricing, health warnings etc are going to work because like Auorora said, drugs are illegal, damaging and expensive but there are still millions of people all over the world who take them. I totally agree with all the bans of no smoking in public places as even I dont like smoke filled rooms and Ive smoked for 7 years. I think the government should spend more time and effort on more serious issues because I know many people smoke because they want to and nothing the government can say or do to make them want to stop.

*end ofrant* :P

Yeah I realllllly don't think it'll make any difference. People smoke, kids see them, their in movies (I don't think they should take smoking out of movies or tv). It's just something people do, and it's not going to stop any time soon so really all we can do is inform people of the risks and let them decide.

All cultures smoke some form of tobacco, and they have for ever, so... I don't think it's gonna change.

Tony - I believe this should be in the News and Debate forum :P

It's a lot harder than just saying that to people. For some people it's easy to quit smoking and for others it's much harder.

There's nothing the government can do that would effectively make people stop smoking who've already started, but stopping people starting smoking in the first place should be fairly simple:
Ban tobacco and legalize marijuana.
It's far less addictive, and appreciably safer. Unfortunately the tobacco industry has bought far too much political power for that to ever happen.

O.K Harley's Dad, i'm not your average RYL smoker because:

a. I'm male -and damn proud :D
b. not convinced i'm immortal :P
c. I don't smoke, never have and don't plan to!!!

Thats that cleared up ;] LOL

>Wouldn't there been less of a visual display mean thee's less visual sublimibal pressures?

>Surely it would be a benefit to those attempting to quit? Because, as humans, we resist pretty much anything except temptation!!!

>I was always under the impression peer pressure was the main reason for people to start smoking (something quite rediculous to me, but thats probably just me); so shouldn't there be something in place to create peer pressure to stop smoking??? -if smoking is such an issue for government, why don't they ban imports of tabacco?? The truth is that they want to appear as if they are looking after the people, but they still want the revenue they make from the taxes.


Bleeding Angel:

>The government can make our choices and has been doing ever since parliment was formed, before that it was the monarchy making our decisions!!! -they raise taxes on items so tehy are making our decision for us. Propaganda such as 'global warming' (which isn't man made) means that we are again, helping government with the decision they wanr.

>Yes, the government is mad because no matter what the underline intentions are for gaining power, they always resort to controlling the public to secure the future. Although their economic policy is never Long term!


L.A Ghost = (Y)


Good for you XxXflowerfairyXxX *gives a cookie for attempting to give up*


I was always under the impression that those who smoked got addicted, Aphelion -i also believe thats why people struggle to give up??


~invisible~girl~ The tobacco industry does have a lot of power, but its more to do with government's own pocket :P


And i agree with Jelly Fairy, this should be in news and debate!!! LOL



Anyway, thats made me a bit less irritable now ;]

The smokers who i have known didnt think they were indestructible, they just needed cigarettes to calm their nerves, in one case my friends doctor told him not to quit smoking at one point since his SI'ing was bad and he would only get dramaticly worse if there was more stress.

I'm a reformed smoker as I've seen what cancer does first hand but in that case i had to agree with the doctor since my friend would only have gotten worse.

I took 2 attempts to give up, though even now when i catch a whiff in public a vauge hunger is re-awakened.


Invisible girl = Legalizing pot would only cause a different set of problems, people who didn't die from cancer would just end up paranoid suicidal wrecks instead, it did me no favours that's for sure so i don't see why your saying its any better than nicotine personally.

How can it be far safer or less addictive either since stronger strains are always under development?

I actually think it might be useful in stopping young people who might be considering buying themselves some smokes. If they're hidden and the kid isn't sure exactly what to ask for, they might decide not to.
When my friend and I were smoking secretly when we were at school, both of us hated going and buying the things (we were such LAME rebels!) and this might well have put us off. Haha. I was so lame.
But I don't think it'll make any difference to people who already have a smoking habit.

The cigarette companies must be shouting "OH C'MON" right about now!

Dicky!

^ i agree.
i think its a load of crap if someone wants to smoke there going to smoke.

I heard about this yesterday. To be quite frank most kids who start smoking do not do so because they've seen ciggerettes on sale. Oh and in case our genius goverment has forgtton kids should even be able to buy ciggeretes seeing as the legal age is now 18!!!! I don't think this will achieve anything as most people who go to buy fags already go into a shop needing them.

yeah it will be so much easier if you walk in to the shop and think, "oh i came in here for something, but as I can't see it i don't think i'll bother" It's riddiculus and its not going to stop people smoking. Which of course the government doesn't want, think of the tax money they'd lose. But it does make them look like they care. It's similar to the green taxes which make very little difference but give the impression they care and are tackling the problem.