Under the Counter Cigarettes - Bad for consumers in its present form

dacouch

http://www.bitterwallet.com/tag/plain-packaging

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Kay_Peel wrote: »

Under the Counter Cigarettes - Bad for consumers in its present form

I'm fairly sure one intention of the legislation is to make things more difficult for cigarette consumers

Millie_Millsters

When I buy my tobacco from Tesco, I always ask them to open the doors so I can see what the prices are before I choose. They've never objected yet.

Azari

dacouch wrote: »

http://www.bitterwallet.com/tag/plain-packaging

"The boffins went on to conclude that, if plain packaging means falling prices, then everyone will suddenly start smoking, because it will be so ridiculously cheap. “If manufacturers respond by competing on price to maintain market share, prices may decline. In simple economic terms, when prices decline the demand increases and that’s what might occur with the introduction of plain packaging” finished Dr. Conlon, waving his cigarette enigmatically."

This sounds like typical BS that you get from people who are funded by the tobacco industry to perform research.

It is well known that the cigarettes are a very price inelastic product. Put the price up and people keep smoking. By the same token, it's extremely unlikely that reducing the price will induce people to smoke.

Does this muppet think that non smokers are monitoring the price of a packet of cigarettes just waiting to commit suicide slowly if the price drops?

This is another example of a well known technique used by lobbyists whereby they try and make people believe that some rule or regulation that they do not want enacted will have the reverse effect to that intended.

Pound

Crisp_£_note wrote: »

Simplest answer make the things that are bad for us ridiculously expensive and the stuff that is healthy for us really cheap.

You mean like the thing that is happening in 4 days, called The Budget?

Same goes for alcohol and soft drinks in pubs etc make it more apealing to be responsible and NOT drink and drive!

So some kind of tax added at the till of people that plan on drunk driving? I suppose it would work like the tax McDonalds add if you're taking your food outside.

Then again ban cigarets etc now and stop faffing around doing it slowly and make fitness and leisure centres free or affordable for all.

Criminalising something that so many people already do is a bad idea, especially for something addictive. It either wouldn't work and/or turn millions of people into criminals overnight.

I'm sure the government's eventual aim is to criminalise cigarettes but it's better to have a gradual transition.

pogofish

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Isn't that in breach of the Equality Act for people who can't read text but can recognise what packet they want?

Surely the Sale of Goods Act also has a part to play here and to the buyer's advantage at that.

They may also have grounds to raise an action for damages under at least one of its subsections too!

Crisp_£_note

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Isn't that in breach of the Equality Act for people who can't read text but can recognise what packet they want?

If they cant read text but can recognise the packets surely they can remember the name of the brand they usualy consume?

juno

Stores should have a price list. If they don't yet, they can check the prices for you - and they can even open the doors for you to look at the tobacco if you ask (but you have to ask, they can't ask you).

However, the law doesn't actually come into effect until April so up until then they can open the doors freely.

darkpool

anatomical wrote: »

Having seen and studied the effects of smoking throughout the course of my degree, anything that discourages smoking is a good thing. While parliament generally won't do anything to discourage the consumer, the amount of money spent in healthcare because of smoking far outweighs the amount of tax the government gets from the sale of cigarettes. One in five deaths in the UK are caused by smoking, I think it would irresponsible of the government not to introduce more measures like this.

fair enough point, but i've seen research that says smoking saves the taxpayer money because smokers claim their state pension for a shorter time........

custardy

darkpool wrote: »

fair enough point, but i've seen research that says smoking saves the taxpayer money because smokers claim their state pension for a shorter time........

but thats one factor
does it take into account healthcare costs to that point?

As needing to see the cigarettes. I thought most smokers stuck to a brand they like?