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Nice people thread part 7 - a thread in its prime
Comments
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$20+ a pack I think (I'm a very ex-smoker). You get 25 in a packet over here though and a 'correct' FX rate to use is about $2.50 = £1 rather than the current $1.50 = £1.
The cigarette packets have no branding on them now and are kept in drawers or cupboards behind the counter. You can only have 1 till in a shop where cigs are sold so in a bottle shop (off license) with 2 tills you have to go to the right one to buy cigarettes. The packets are a colour that is a cross between a rotting olive and what I imagine an alcoholic's poo to look like.
They have a photo on the front. Choices include a young girl being given oxygen and clearly in some distress in a hospital bed, a cancerous mouth, a picture of a foot with gangrene, a picture of an eye that is about to be operated on, a man dying of lung cancer (he specifically asked the Government for his picture to be included in the list of photos for the packs before he died) and an ashtray. I have been in queues in a shop and have heard a buyer of cigarettes request that he is given a pack with a different picture.
One of the states (QLD???) is now discussing banning the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after 2000, effectively a rolling prohibition. Outside of the Western Suburbs, the crappier suburbs of Sydney, it is very unusual to see a white person over the age of 25 smoking these days. People from Asia smoke in larger numbers, especially those that are not from India, Pak, Bang and Sri L (i.e. what Britons call Asians).
Smoking is dying out here. Apparently 10% of Aussies smoke now. People ask smokers to desist even outdoors now and you hear the odd snide comment when a smoker gets into a lift or onto the bus.
As most people here know, I'm a Libertarian lite. I think that if someone is dumb enough to smoke then let them. I don't think Aussies agree with me. I heard a bloke on the ABC (our BBC) slagging off smokers in a pretty aggressive way for hanging a cigarette out of the car window during a total fire ban. I suspect that we're a bad bush fire away from smoking in cars being banned entirely. Already you can't smoke in a car that has a child in it.
I gave up after Horizon showed a documentary about the effects. Not cancer or heart disease but less -wellknown diseases like emphysema and gangrene. They showed it twice and each time it led to tens of thousands of smokers quitting. Wonder what happened to it.
The packaging /sales rules from Aus seem very sensible. I don't lnow whereI stand on other issues of personal liberty.
In the US if you wanted to buy a bottle of wine some states sold them in most stores on all streets. In Pennsylvania it was sold in small anonymous-looking brick buildings set well back from the road with hardly any advertisiing.
Come to that, in Toronto, the only liquor store we found was well out of the way in the very back of the Eaton centre unbderground shopping mall. Mind you you could hardly see it for the crowds swarming in and out; it was doing a roaring trade!There is no honour to be had in not knowing a thing that can be known - Danny Baker0 -
As most people here know, I'm a Libertarian lite. I think that if someone is dumb enough to smoke then let them. I don't think Aussies agree with me. I heard a bloke on the ABC (our BBC) slagging off smokers in a pretty aggressive way for hanging a cigarette out of the car window during a total fire ban. I suspect that we're a bad bush fire away from smoking in cars being banned entirely. Already you can't smoke in a car that has a child in it.
Interesting to hear how things are elsewhere in the world. Do you think the bush fire issue is the main reason why the Aussie policy is so much more aggressive than the British one? And do you have a suggestion as to why the far east Asian ethnic group seem to be less put off?
When you say the packs aren't branded, do you mean that you can't tell who manufactured the cigs? If so, how does the market work between the different tobacco companies?Do you know anyone who's bereaved? Point them to https://www.AtaLoss.org which does for bereavement support what MSE does for financial services, providing links to support organisations relevant to the circumstances of the loss & the local area. (Link permitted by forum team)
Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.
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Smoking is dying out here. Apparently 10% of Aussies smoke now. People ask smokers to desist even outdoors now and you hear the odd snide comment when a smoker gets into a lift or onto the bus.
That's absolutely amazing. I was in Aus in 2006 and the indoor air rules still hadn't been fully introduced in Melbourne (I think they were in place elsewhere mind) and people could still smoke indoors. It's amazing how much things have changed over a very short period of time. None of my similarly aged relatives smoke either, but as one is a reformed heroin addict, I can't exactly claim that they've all led healthy clean Aussie lives either.Please stay safe in the sun and learn the A-E of melanoma: A = asymmetry, B = irregular borders, C= different colours, D= diameter, larger than 6mm, E = evolving, is your mole changing? Most moles are not cancerous, any doubts, please check next time you visit your GP.
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I don't think there needs to be a market, if by that you mean a mechanism for making competitors become efficient at delivering this product.Interesting to hear how things are elsewhere in the world. Do you think the bush fire issue is the main reason why the Aussie policy is so much more aggressive than the British one? And do you have a suggestion as to why the far east Asian ethnic group seem to be less put off?
When you say the packs aren't branded, do you mean that you can't tell who manufactured the cigs? If so, how does the market work between the different tobacco companies?
I don't know how many people here have discovered the TV treasure that is "breaking Bad"? There's a dialogue where the illegal drug manufacturers are talking and one is waxing lyrical about how rpoud he is about the quality of his product. He's put in his place when his buddy replies "Look, basically we manufacture poison and sell it to people who don't care about things":DThere is no honour to be had in not knowing a thing that can be known - Danny Baker0 -
Oh I agree there doesn't need to be any mechanism to make them be efficient or competitive. I just wondered who chooses which manufacturer's cigs go into the packets, if that choice is no longer down to the consumer.Do you know anyone who's bereaved? Point them to https://www.AtaLoss.org which does for bereavement support what MSE does for financial services, providing links to support organisations relevant to the circumstances of the loss & the local area. (Link permitted by forum team)
Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.0 -
Interesting to hear how things are elsewhere in the world. Do you think the bush fire issue is the main reason why the Aussie policy is so much more aggressive than the British one?
No I don't. I think that Aussie politicians tend to be patrician and like to tell people what's best for them, even if the Government here is generally much less interventionist than European ones. You should see the number of road signs here. It's effectively impossible to follow the road rules in Aus as you are constantly bombarded with information.And do you have a suggestion as to why the far east Asian ethnic group seem to be less put off?
My assumption is that many are first or second generation immigrants from countries where there are more smokers. I don't really know why and it's only anecdote: the plural of anecdote isn't data as I like to remind others and so should remind myself.When you say the packs aren't branded, do you mean that you can't tell who manufactured the cigs?
The trademarks have all been taken off but the name of the manufacturer remains. Here is an example and is one of the milder photos. If you have a strong stomach, check out the gangrenous foot (before and after photos of the packaging there) or the cancerous mouth.If so, how does the market work between the different tobacco companies?
The cigarettes are in drawers or a cupboard behind the counter so you can't see the packets. You ask for the brand and type that you want but there is no marketing of any sort going on now. It'll be interesting to see how that affects the market in future: smokers are renowned among economists for their brand loyalty but how will that pan out of there is no branding?Oh I agree there doesn't need to be any mechanism to make them be efficient or competitive. I just wondered who chooses which manufacturer's cigs go into the packets, if that choice is no longer down to the consumer.
The name of the brand remains on the cigarette packet and you ask for a pack of Marlboro or Winfields (a local brand) or whatever. It's very hard to tell from a distance what people are smoking as you don't have a red and white packet or a gold one or a black pack.0 -
Thanks Gen. You are a bountiful source of interesting information as usual.
So they try to put smokers off by drawing their attention to mouth cancer, lunch cancer & gangrene. I suppose the inclusion of a photo of each is the reason they haven't included ED in that list????
On totally different subject... I've been spending some time on the benefits board trying to find out if I'm right in my calculations about universal credit. I get a fair bit of WTC/CTC but think I won't get any UC at all when it comes in, but nobody on the benefits board seems to know enough to be able to confirm or deny it. Are any of the nice peeps up on the rules for income tapers as applied to widow's pensions?Do you know anyone who's bereaved? Point them to https://www.AtaLoss.org which does for bereavement support what MSE does for financial services, providing links to support organisations relevant to the circumstances of the loss & the local area. (Link permitted by forum team)
Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.0 -
Ok I'll parachute in, deal with any foes and save the day, again.
Only problem is I have quite a checkered record with cars and they usually end up in flames or riddled with bullet holes at best.
005 would have been a better bet to carry out your task but he's been called to some kerfuffle in Algeria.
I'll whatsapp him and see how long he is going to be...
I would be more impressed by a gritting lorry than a parachute.0 -
So they try to put smokers off by drawing their attention to mouth cancer, lunch cancer & gangrene. I suppose the inclusion of a photo of each is the reason they haven't included ED in that list????
That's about it. I was in a queue a couple of weeks ago and the buyer of cigarettes complained about the photo on his packet and wanted it changed. A voice from behind me said, "I don't know why you're bothered, that's you in ten years time."!
I don't know what ED is. Lunch cancer sounds nasty though.0 -
That's about it. I was in a queue a couple of weeks ago and the buyer of cigarettes complained about the photo on his packet and wanted it changed. A voice from behind me said, "I don't know why you're bothered, that's you in ten years time."!
I don't know what ED is. Lunch cancer sounds nasty though.
ED stands for erectile dysfunction, which is why I thought the idea of putting pictures of it on the packets would be ... er ... interesting.Do you know anyone who's bereaved? Point them to https://www.AtaLoss.org which does for bereavement support what MSE does for financial services, providing links to support organisations relevant to the circumstances of the loss & the local area. (Link permitted by forum team)
Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.0
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