Is this really necessary?? Pictures of blackened lungs, etc. on cigarette packs?

From a Canadian smoker:

The packaging (with morbid pictures and such) have not stopped us Canadians from smoking. We simply use colorful "pouch" containers to hold packaged cigarettes. That way we don't have to look at the horrible photos on them.

Those who don't hide the package in a pouch or other type of container just get "used to" seeing the photos and become oblivious to them.

Stanton Glantz, the professor mentioned in your post is fooling himself if he thinks the shock-factor packaging will stop people from smoking. It won't even increase the likelihood (the professor probably never smoked a cigarette in his life) that smokers will quit.

It might help deter some children from taking up the habit in the first place (which is good). But the graphic packaging is certain to have little effect on current smokers.

To put it bluntly, the majority of us do not make purchases based on the packaging, rather what the package contains. So, what's on the package doesn't mean too much any way you look at it.

The Canadian government has been imposing new rules, regulations and restrictions on tobacco product sales every year. They continue to increase prices and taxes on cigarette products, are constantly adding "banning by-laws" to the books in addition to enacting laws that prohibit convenience stores from allowing visibility of tobacco products to potential customers (all tobacco products must be hidden behind closed cabinets).

These are only a few examples of what the Canadian government is doing in an effort to get people to quit smoking. Some of the tactics are working... but for the most part, they are not. People will not quit smoking unless they want to. It's that simple.

I just wrote a post in my Blog at:

http://wandawonderswhy.blogspot.com/

... that addresses the most recent problem Canadians are facing in relation to tobacco products - the sale of contraband cigarettes. Take a peek if you are interested.

Nope, I have never seen a picture warning for cigarette packs, that is pretty interesting. But I quit on August, 4 of this year and I am still good so the warnings do not apply to me any more. When I started smoking they didn't have any warnings on the packs at all, anywhere. I used to enjoy Players from Canada and State Express 555 from England. I also rolled my own for about 20 years, no filters there. I smoked for 36 years and stopped. It is easy not to do something. Having to do something like hook up to some machine to clear your lungs is not easy to do, not for anyone, not all of the time, every day. But then when you quit smoking you turn around and get hit by a buss. Hey we all gotta die of something, right, well I can think of no good way to go, just some that are or would be a little less bull bleep than others. Just please let me go in my sleep, not in a hospital.

Is it necessary? No, nor should they be forced to do it. However, as a taxpayer I would be willing to allow the manufacturers to avoid certain sin taxes by truthfully showing the consequences of using their products on the packaging.

So in other words, if they voluntarily do it, then lets talk about their tax structure and see what we can do.

I'd be interested to see how, if at all, this has discouraged smokers in countries who already have such a law.

No it just increases the likelihood of me vomiting while smoking said pack of cigarettes.

Looks like rolling your own will become fashionable again! Hell, We might even be able to get a Cuban soon!

"Are they going to start putting morbidly obese people on fast food containers?? Homeless alcoholics on liquor bottles?".,........i like that idea. why not show customers what the use of the product can do to them?.....they dont because it hurts their profits.....do we need companies who profit by poisoning people?

Yes, if it discourages smoking I am all for it.

no its just that our government doesn't want us to smoke that's why they tax the crap out of it and and they want to do that black lung stuff. i think its dumb!!! if i want to smoke ima smoke and if that means ima grow my own stuff so i wont have to pay tax and look and nasty stuff well ima do that. screw those sombitches in the white house!!

Guess the Left can't say that only the Right uses scare tactics any more.