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What do you think of laws in some countries (U.S., Australia) that require tobacco companies to put gruesome, full-color images on their packs as health warnings against smoking?

14 Comments

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Ridiculous.When I see what alcohol does to people, I find cigarettes to be very harmless. So, if you have to do this with tobacco, put label on bottles too. Australia especially has some major problems with alcohol.

Yeah. I'm waiting to see a bottle of whiskey with the picture of a beaten wife and child, underneath the picture are the words "Her husband likes (brand name) whiskey too".

6 ( +6 / -0 )

@okikibi: Alcohol abuse does hurt people near the drinker - physical and verbal abuse, death, arre pretty hurtful.

I agree with this move, and I agree that if cigarettes are to be stamped with preventative slogans, so should alcohol.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

It just might make them more appealing to certain groups, particularly teenage boys... almost like collecting baseball cards. I can already imagine the remarks:

"Dude, I got mouth cancer."

"Sick man. Check this out. I got esophageal cancer."

"Gross. I got lung cancer... again."

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@realteacher - Pretty much exactly what I think will happen too. I have a friend who isn't a smoker who collects boxes of cigarettes because he thinks the boxes are so cool. His first pack was a box of "Death" cigarettes. He isn't a smoker... yet.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

If it stops new smokers... FANTASTIC.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

All for it when it comes to tobacco. It's a product that when used directly hurts others near the smoker. Alcohol doesn't.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I say that it should be legal to do anything necessary to get people to quit smoking.

Someone close to me died of lung cancer, but they weren't a smoker. I was with them for the last week of their life. They were on oxygen and could only watch helplessly as they suffocated to death. Smoking is no better than a form of Russian roulette. It is the slowest form of suicide. In ways, it is worse because you torture yourself and the ones you love as you suffer from various smoking related illnesses over s decade.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I did not need anything to discourage me from smoking to beging with; just the smell of smoldering tobacco (and the residue left in my hair and clothing -- not to mention the burns in trousers, etc.) is enough of a deterrent.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ridiculous.When I see what alcohol does to people, I find cigarettes to be very harmless. So, if you have to do this with tobacco, put label on bottles too. Australia especially has some major problems with alcohol.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

they do it in the uk - doesn't make a difference

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I moved to Japan 11 months ago and have been exposed to more cigarette smoke than 34 yrs of my life in America. Now I have been diagnosed with asthma. I believe that the risks of smoking are not taken seriously here and I am going to do what I can to make a stand. I am tired of coughing up my lungs due to someones careless habit. Put gruesome pics on Japanese cigarettes please!!! LOL I am a Japanese citizen BTW...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If they really want to go for it, they can try scratch and sniff packs. Besides a cadaver smell, I could think of some others easily. Would require them to scratch and sniff after they purchase them.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Ive heard peanut butter can give you cancer-shouldnt we do the same for all products that are harmful? What about ajinomoto, thats supposed to be lethal as well? And well you get my drift, Australia doing this is an embarrassment. The law is stupid-how can you even call it a law?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Actually it's quite simple. Don't drink and don't smoke. Health benefits aside, you'll save a ton of money.

Regarding the topic: I don't think you need to show gruesome pictures of lung cancer etc, but you can have no-nonsense warnings on both tobacco and alcohol products. Oh, and if you smoke and/or consume alcohol above a certain limit each month, you should not have public health coverage either.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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