European Salon de News, Discussion et Klatsch - 2 June | 83 comments (83 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Living off the Planet (none / 0)

Right now they have packages with the label "smoking kills" or suchlike...

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Jun 2nd, 2012 at 05:48:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Living off the Planet (4.00 / 2)

The problem is that most people, given a choice, will choose (the illusion of) social status over health. Taking branding out of the picture would change the behavior pattern completely.

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Sat Jun 2nd, 2012 at 05:51:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Living off the Planet (none / 0)

As those of you who know me know, i enjoy smoking, though i have always smoked pure tobacco with no chemicals or additives. I thoroughly enjoy smoking... having nothing to do with ceremonial tobacco use, which is for more than enjoyment.

But i know very few people who smoke because they enjoy it. Most smoke simply because of addiction, even if it was begun to be seen as ___.

Some would fight the addiction if there were no more branding, but most would remain addicted. (And how would you differentiate the brands with a black pack? I would still wish to choose my additive free Mohawks.)

PS. I'm also addicted by now, though only 12-16 a day.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Sat Jun 2nd, 2012 at 06:34:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Living off the Planet (4.00 / 2)

I have nothing against tobacco consumption as a personal choice when one enjoys the effects of nicotine. My problem is with how the industry promotes the consumption of its products.

De-branding (genericizing?) cigarettes is not a measure that will help the addicted, but I think that eliminating the cigarette pack as a lifestyle badge would drastically cut the number of new addicts.

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Sat Jun 2nd, 2012 at 07:18:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Living off the Planet (none / 0)

Recently I read of new statistics for some country (forgot which) that showed smoking rates dropping overall but rising among teenagers, especially the youngest. I wonder how much this is down to dirty advertising the the industry how much with unsolicited but irresponsible trend-setting by individual stars like Lady Gaga.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sat Jun 2nd, 2012 at 07:25:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Living off the Planet (none / 0)

Which has been shown to actually have slightly negative effectiveness. Plain packaging, particularly in drab colours such as olive has been shown to reduce the desirability. You can tell the effectiveness by how aggressively the tobacco lobby fights.

by njh on Sun Jun 3rd, 2012 at 02:12:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

European Salon de News, Discussion et Klatsch - 2 June | 83 comments (83 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Top Diaries

Newspeak to English pocket dictionary

Quantifying Utopia: A UBI Calculator for the USA

A Nomad's Life (A Farewell)

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants - Europe and the Mongol...

Simple Solar Principles

Rail News Blogging #24

Ferguson hates on Keynes

The Brussels Consensus: economic disaster in EU candidate...

Recent Diaries

Simple Solar Principles

Quantifying Utopia: A UBI Calculator for the USA

Newspeak to English pocket dictionary

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants - Europe and the Mongol...

Rail News Blogging #24

A Nomad's Life (A Farewell)

The Brussels Consensus: economic disaster in EU candidate...

Origins of German Neo-Austerianism

Ferguson hates on Keynes

Dionysian revels: Nice, May Day 2013:

Anglo Or Not, It's A Disease

The UK and the Euro

Free Energy: Solar and Dynamo LED Keychain Lights

Kruganomics 101

Gold

Corporate Profits and Aggregate Demand

VC Investment: Then and Now

An Ambush of Wishful thinking and Cargo Cult law.

The Intellectual Foundations of Austerity destroyed

Spring is Sprung - Photoblog

Occasional Series