Saturday 5 January 2013

European union changes its policy about cigarettes


As you know EU started a war with smokers. They would like to put disgusting photos which will cover up to 75% of each pack. Next great idea, which they want to implement is the prohibition of the sale of slim and flavoured cigarettes. The proposed legislation strengthens rules on how tobacco products are produced, presented and marketed - said Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, the spokesman of the European Commission. She also added that the Commission wants to set cigarette diameter to higher than 7.5 mm. For us, it will mean that we can only buy cigarettes like Marlboro red.





As we can see in the movie smoking is really bad, but in my opinion slim and flavoured cigarettes are better than Marlboro red, but the European Commision knows better. I think that this law won't reduce the number of smoker but only increase the level of cancers in EU, because many smokers will change slim/flavoured cigarettes to normal, big cigarettes.

Many experts say that this situation can reduce governments’ profit from taxes and increase the number of smuggled cigarettes from outside of the EU. For Poland, it  is very bad news, because we are the biggest cigarette manufacturer in the EU. Interestingly, we buy 40% of all menthols sold in the union.

The Commission said that every year 700 000 Europeans die from smoking and 13 mln of Europeans are sick due to smoking.

To sum up I will say that I was a smoker but I quit 2 years ago and I'm very happy of it. Now I can run longer, go to the 20th floor using stairs etc.

Questions to discuss:

1. Are you a smoker? Have you ever smoked? If yes, will you try to quit?

2. What do you think about this European idea to prohibit "tasty" cigarettes?

3.   If you are a smoker what will you do when this law is introduced?



Source: http://spoleczenstwo.newsweek.pl/unia-europejska-szykuje-nowe-prawo--palenie-ma-byc-mniej-przyjemne,99638,2,1.html

10 comments:

  1. Ah, EU - they always know better what's the best for us.

    They are such hypocrites. They pretend fighting with cigarettes and in the same time collecting a lot of money from excise.

    I've started smoking 2 years ago. I think that I will try to quit but now I'm not ready yet :)

    I hate when bureaucrats wants to force me to some actions. I'm an adult and if I want to ruin my health then let me do this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Are you a smoker? Have you ever smoked? If yes, will you try to quit?
    I'm not a smoker, but I happened to smoke at a party. Really don’t like cigarette smoke and smelly clothes after the event, so a heavy smoker I never will be.

    What do you think about this European idea to prohibit "tasty" cigarettes?
    I agree with you, I think that it will not reduce the number of smokers, will increase only cancer patients because of the absence of choice, start to burn fat cigarettes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 1. Are you a smoker? Have you ever smoked? If yes, will you try to quit?
    I've never tried it and do not intend to.

    2. What do you think about this European idea to prohibit "tasty" cigarettes?
    I do not know why the EU is so much impose on citizens and reduce the price of cigarettes. I do not understand this approach, we are an independent country and definitely should make their own decisions about what is good for us and what does not

    3. If you are a smoker what will you do when this law is introduced?
    It seems to me that I'd be opposed, but probably would not have the capability of sweep this law. It is therefore left to me to accept or move to another country.

    ReplyDelete

  4. 1. I have never smoked in my life, but many of my family members have done it. Smoking is a horrible habit which is very difficult to quit. It requires a lot of self-motivation and persistence in order to quit for good.
    2. I do not see how forbidding "tasty" cigarettes will reduce the number of smokers. I think it will only push them to smoke even worse,stronger cigarettes. Yet, hopefully I am wrong and we will see the numbers of smokers going down.
    3. I have never smoked in my life,hence,it is difficult to imagine the asked scenario. I think it would be very hard to quit only because someone tells you to do it. As always the addiction is a challenge for one to fight.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I do not smoke regularly or occasionally at parties like someone persuaded me. I have nothing to throw, because I'm not an addict. I agree with Piotr that the EU knows better than us, and freedom are synonymous with restrictions. It seems to me that we are socially mature enough that we know what is good and what is bad. EU tries to think for us it's a little annoying.
    I think that the best solution would be to leave the EU and join the empire :).

    ReplyDelete
  6. Actually, really interesting topic... Yes i am a smoker, but (i know there is no BUT...) i smoke like not many cigarettes per day... Most of the time i do not own pack of cigarettes, when someone smoke and offers me one, i'll smoke just for this time, i don't smoke at home. Few days ago i just quit smoking and i don't feel the need to smoke, the most problem is to say "no" to anyone who offers me a cigarette, but i guess it is not so hard :) in example, you can eat "paluszki" instead of smoking, it works. The main thing is just to fill your need to "make an action". Because i guess there are two types of addiction. The physical one and the psychological one, i definitely have the psychological one, because i really don't smoke in weekends and i don't feel the need to smoke, no pressure at all. But i feel the need to integrate with my friends with the smoking action. So when they smoke i can eat something. It's better to be an snack addict than cigarettes addict :) :) :) UE should even outlaw cigarettes like marihuana, because it's the same kind of sh*t, the difference is just a result of usage.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've been a smoker for few years, but I quit.

    I think that this law will actually decrease number of smokers. I don't believe that too many people will shift from smoking slims to strong cigarettes.

    Also, I have already seen this anti smoking campaign in British TV. I got to say, clips are pretty disgusting and agitating.
    The is the ad:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKmnK6bfMuA

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am not a smoker, as I know too many people who have problems with quitting this habit. Once you get addicted, it is almost impossible to stop without much effort. I believe that smoking from time to time is not very harmful but it is the beginning of the addiction. When it comes to actions of European Union, I think that putting disgusting pictures on the packets might make some people realize the harm that they exert on themselves by smoking. However, I do not think that the changes in smoking population will be that huge because smokers usually know the results of their addiction but they do not care- the pressure is so strong… What is more, prohibition of ‘tasty cigarettes’ will not lead to significant decrease in number of smokers either. Those who need nicotine will smoke everything that consists of it, no matter how it tastes. Since I am not a smoker, I do not have a lot to say on this topic, but, concluding, as it appears to me, smokers will smoke regardless of what the pictures show, of prices of cigarettes and of European Union’s actions (which may lead to damaging polish economy that has benefited a lot from tobacco industry for years).

    ReplyDelete

  9. 1.
    I'm not a smoker, but I tried to smoke in highschool, fortunately it didn't tased to me at all :)


    2.
    In my opinion it is good idea, because some people, smoke because it (cigarettes and packages) looks nice (it is not a joke). If they would contain pictures of sick people and be just ugly probably part of those people will quit.

    3.
    fortunately it don't need to answer it :)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfbcU63ddo8 - very nice commercial about this topic ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am a smoker, however, for 4 months I am also smoking e-cigarette. When I bought my electronic cigarette, I did not want to quit smoking but only reduce it. Unfortunately, still it is hard for me to quit smoking normal cigarettes; especially I cannot imagine drinking beer without a cigarette :)
    I think that I will not cry a lot when cigarettes will be banned. Maybe banning cigarettes will finally free me from my addiction.

    ReplyDelete