Its been a while since I have had much positive to say about Tony Abbott and the Coalition but, if this report is correct, they will do the right thing and support moves to introduce plain packaging of the product that is the leading preventable cause of death in the world today – cigarettes.
The lunar right should follow the lead of their betters. It creates a near total loss of credibility to support the carcinogen producers and that – no matter how one dresses things up – is what the mad right are doing. Smoking cigarettes was a terrible historical mistake that killed 100 million during the 20th century and will kill many more than that over the coming century. (158)
I think Joshua has the gold standard response to this issue:
http://economics.com.au/?p=7106&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+com%2FJUlM+%28CoreEcon%29&utm_content=FeedBurner
Oops wrong post
Conspicuous nanny-staters!
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/global-war-on-drugs-has-failed-report/story-e6frfku0-1226068247047
Thje problem with the moral majority and their somewhat manic preoccupation with smokers, is the hypocrisy and lack of consistency with the basic right to alter one’s consciousness generally, provided it doesn’t impact others to any large extent. Whilst smokers now accept the externality of tobacco smoke, we struggle to comprehend the different treatment of tobacco with alchohol, let alone abuse of prescription drugs or the hypocristical classification of illicit drugs. If adults struggle our kids must find such attitudes and hypocrisy laughable. The answer is of course to licence users in much the same way as we do the OHS requirements for handling any dangerous or toxic substance in nthe workplace. Full user pays licencing, with education about all the effects and the right to use their poison of choice as long as it doesn’t impact socially, lest that licence be suspended/revoked. Then we can face our children with a consistent message- Not while your bodies and minds are forming and maturing and only themn as adults can you make an informed choice. Does away with trying to solve the social externalities via the driver’s licence system at present, gets rid of the crminal element and makes licensees responsible for their own actions, with better medical access to side effects and overall health.
Well when you encourage these nanny-staters-
http://www.news.com.au/national/cigs-war-won-now-cancer-campaigners-set-their-sights-on-beer/story-e6frfkw9-1226088686962
Plain packaging for Grange and cleanskins, here they come. It’s all for your own good Harry and these people know what’s best for you.