Thursday 30 August 2007

UK Government mandates revolting images on tobacco products

Nu-Lab are to force manufacturers of cigarettes and other tobacco products to print what amount to obscene images, apparently created on the orders of the European Commission, on their products.

The images include diseased mouths and lungs; there will be 15 of them.

Nu-Labs Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, Justified it on the basis that the existing written warnings were apparently beginning to loose their impact.

I do not smoke and I do not particularly want these revolting images thrust in my face by the state – and they will be. Every time I go into a newsagent’s, every time I am anywhere near anyone who smokes.

I am sure that if smokers can tune out written warnings they will be able to tune out these pictures, or buy a more pleasant looking cigarette case. What will the state do then? It is impossible to believe smokers are not already perfectly aware of the possible consequences of their habit.

One of the messages is “Smoking causes fatal lung cancer” That is an over simplification. It may cause it, but some people smoke and manage to avoid lung cancer, fatal or not. Also some people never smoke and are not exposed to smoke and still get cancer and die.

One hopes they don’t start a campaign against STDs, who knows what revolting and obscenely graphic images these health fascists will plaster all over condom vending machines.