Cigarettes to be sold in plain grey logo free packets?

[mrmoonshine]

http://www.dailymail....-smoking-Britain.html

Will this make a blind bit of difference? I cant remember packets of cigarettes with child friendly packs, caroon characters and little puzzles on the back can you?
From what i remember children start smoking to look cool as all the older kids and parents are doing it and are then hooked by the nicoteen and not the thrill of having a psychodelic pack of rothmans in their pocket!
And banning smoking outside the entance? So instead of the workers taking 5 minutes and getting back to work they'll now have to go further and spend more time away from their desks? Will either of these make a big difference to the hardcore smokers out there?

[redman41]

When I was in Merchant Navy Paross, the Ciggies and Booze were dirt cheap so in a way it was an encouragement to Smoke and Drink.
It's too late for me to repent now. Might try some of mrmoonshine's remedies !! lol

[bobjugs12]

R1. Thanks for the correction, my mistake. But regardless of the figure, how much money is spent by the NHS treating smoking-related illness? How much is then collected by the govt on junk food and how much is spent on obesity related illness? How much tax is collected from illegal drugs and how much spent on treating the results?

[paross]

They'll be charging you for having sex in your own house next! How will they know? Will they send someone round to watch you? Who would want a job like that? LOL

[mrmoonshine]

Maybe they plan to to install "Nicotine" detectors in all houses attached to a computer that automaticallys dispences a 100 pound fine every time its set off....well the goverment has to make their money back somehow after their 'Cigarette tax' is disrupted!

[R1Geezer]

we are talking about smoking bob, the other subjects are separate discussions.

[rojash]

Dunno where you get your 20 Billion figure, R1Geezer. According to this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8086142.stm
It's 5 Billion, so I reckon you us us 1 Billion (unless, of course, you're a drinker (3 billion), a couch potato (1 Billion) or a junk food eater (5 Billion).
Incidentally, Dutch researchers have come up with figures showing that (because smokers die earlier) over their entire life-time, they cost the Health Service considerably less than non-smokers.

[craft1948]

I, like redman have been smoking since the age of 12, and have been in hospital (so far) only once through a sports injury.
When I started smoking it was considered 'clever' and nearly everyone on TV smoked. I actually smoked throughout my pregnancy as it was considered no bad thing, and miraculously my daughter was born, and still is, a very healthy girl.
My daughter does not smoke, for which I am glad, even if it is just for the financial outlay..............I think at the mo I am still in credit with the NHS.

[R1Geezer]

rojash That's the direct cost to the health service, the rest are indirect costs to society generally. Lost days employment, fires, cleaning, life time care for children born with defects due to smoking etc etc......

[DrFilth]

r1 go to your local a&e on a friday and saturday night, bet it is full of drunks or people
who are injured through alcohol.

[modeller]

The direct economic cost of treating smokers diseases by the NHS is estimated to be 20 billion but to that must be added the 10 billion damage to property caused by fires. The fire service says 25% of all fires are prooved to be caused by cigarettes. They believe the true number is even higher. These fires also result in casualities and deaths which adds further cost to the NHS. Come on bob you may have a point about packaging but on the economic side you will have to do better.

[craft1948]

Eddie when it was considered okay to smoke, if I was going out somewhere smart I had my pastel coloured, gold-tipped cocktail cigarettes in a gold and snakeskin cigarette case!!

[DrFilth]

i wish they would stop putting these nasty pictures on packs of cigs.

they put you off smoking

[DrFilth]

eddie they were Sobranie Black Russian

http://www.simplyciga...ussian-20s-p-668.html

[joggerjayne]

Plain grey sounds cool and edgy.

Much better than the gaudy packaging they have now.

I might give smoking a try if grey packs come in.

[mrmoonshine]

Eddie the "budget brand" ciggies that i know of are superkings, sovereigns and mayfair as they're slightly cheaper, so with these all grey packs wouldn't the so called no so trendy kids now be able to mingle with the benson&hedges "royalty" without fear of ridicule as they will all be on equal ground now?
Like i said its not the packaging, its the action and psychologically what the young smoker hopes the peers percieves them.

[mrmoonshine]

Eddie Im now wondering how much damage will this do to the industry as every box bar the brand name will be identical, also will some of these companies make a profit before a loss once the ban comes in from saving money on the machinery dyes and paints etc... that used to give their packs a colourful identitiy?