BIG Tobacco is trying to turn smokers into a political force with an under-the-radar campaign encouraging protests against high taxes and bans on smoking in public.How are they gonna do that then?
The I Deserve to Be Heard campaign involves slipping small cards into cigarette packets directing smokers to a website headlined: “It’s time to tell the government you’ve had enough”.I’ll bet the Australian government’s health department, one of the most virulent anti smoking/smoker government departments ever conceived, does not like that?
The federal government says it will fight the industry’s campaign “tooth and nail”, with a spokeswoman for the Health Minister describing it as “an example of how low Big Tobacco is prepared to go to peddle their killer products.”Now that’s rich. How low have governments and anti smoking lobbies stooped in their rush to denormalise the smoker and make their enjoyment of tobacco products as arduous and downright dangerous to health?
Talking about anti smoking groups like ASH et al, what do they have to say on the matter?
Anti-smoking lobby groups are shocked at the new tactic. “Cheeky buggers,” was the reaction of one advocate when told about the campaign.How very restrained eh.
Dick Puddlecote knows that the UK is in a pissing contest with the rest of the world, especially Australia, to hide tobacco products under the counter and introduce plain packaging of those products.
Are big tobacco different from any other legitimate producer when selling their legal products? Do they not have the right to defend their legitimate product in a climate of hostility by scaremongers and downright liars?
Smokers have been hit with two significant increases in taxes over the past 12 months and the list of places where chuffing in public is allowed is shrinking every year as state government extend smoking bans.
Lighting up is banned across Australia in pubs, clubs, restaurants and workplaces, and many councils have banned, or plan to ban smoking on beaches, pedestrian strips and parks.
Retailers are also angry at new laws which force them to hide cigarettes behind bland plastic casing, another in a series of restrictions on display advertising for tobacco products.The rush by governments and anti smoker groups to denormalise us to the point of violence is palpable:
DOCTOR FACING FELONY CHARGES FOR ASSAULTING A SMOKER
Unfortunately, this is not an April 1st joke. Years of a taxpayer and pharmaceutical industry funded 'denormalization' campaign against people who smoke has predictably led to worrisome episodes of intolerance. In this case, a doctor seems to have forgotten his Hippocratic oath and faces felony charges for assaulting someone smoking near his car.I for one welcome this initiative and hope the likes of Philip Morris bring it here to the UK and hopefully shake the smoking enthusiast out of their apathy.
Could BAT grow a pair I wonder?
