Smoking
A move to throw out government plans to ban tobacco displays from shops was rejected in the Lords by 204 votes to 110. Under proposals in the health bill, shops in England, Wales and Northern Ireland would be prevented from displaying tobacco products from 2013.
Lady Thornton, the Labour peer, described the measure as "another important step to a tobacco-free world and one where children are protected and people who want to give it up are supported".
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"Banning the display of cigarettes is a step too far" Telegraph.co.uk 05 May 2009 Lord Borrie is a Labour peer and former Director General of the Office of Fair Trading and the Advertising Standards Association Tobacco is a legal product so why further restrict its advertising and promotion, says Gordon Borrie. By Gordon Borrie
The Letter the Daily Telegraph would not publish in response to Lord Borrie’s article:
"Banning the display of cigarettes is a step too far"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/5279867/Banning-the-display-of-cigarettes-is-a-step-too-far.html
By Stuart Holmes Anti smoking campaigner
The fact that cigarettes are a legal product proves the law is an Ass – Where’s the consumer protection? Lord Borrie wants “A balance between health, liberty & commercial freedom…”
Considering that 90% of smokers become addicted (Addiction is slavery not freedom.) whilst vulnerable impressionable children! And that according to the World Health Organisation: “This century one billion people will be killed by tobacco addiction” (That’s 1/6 of the Worlds population!) And considering that they will be killed by a consumer product, which is sold in children’s sweet shops!
In my opinion this state of affairs is not acceptable and should attract the attention of the International Criminal Court in The Hague because of the weight and nature of the harm involved. (Crimes against children & humanity)
Children are enticed into tobacco addiction by pushers whose only motive is to make money. At present cigarettes are strategically displayed right behind the sweeties and in a childs mind they are the goodies that are reserved for grown ups. (Enticement)
The enticement is reinforced every day by actors smoking in films on TV giving out the message that it’s the grown up thing to do that it’s: sexy, macho, it’s a passport to social acceptability etc.
Even very young children are not safe sometimes being enchanted by hypnotic effects such as fairies dancing in flames and the lure of magic (As seen in the film Narnia!) tempting them to play with fire matches smoking etc.
Tobacco and actors smoking should be banned without delay. (This could be done in a compassionate way by restricting cigarettes to chemists under prescription).
Banning the display of cigarettes is a step too small!
Stuart Holmes. Anti smoking campaigner.
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1 comment:
Oh shut up, what you're suggesting is tantamount to fascism and the last I heard we were still living in a free county....you don't like smoking? Good! I'm not that fussed to be honest but I'm not going to have my rights infringed to please the likes of you! sit down and shut-up! whinging old g*t.
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