An article regarding the tobacco industry and their grubby tactics.
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Tobacco company Phillip Morris is entering the life insurance market and offering discounts to smokers who quit or change.
So are they now admitting that their tobacco products are a health risk?
Who else rememders the old jingle in their TV ads âCome to Marlboro country, come to where the flavour isâ?
Perhaps their life insurance ads will update the jingle to âCome to where the lung cancer came fromâ?
Unbelievable.
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Cynicism warning deserved.
Smokers will receive discounts if they stop, quit or switch to a possibly less carcinogenic product, like Philip Morrisâ vaping devices.
On average, people who switch to e-cigarettes will receive a 2.5% discount on premiums, people who switch to Philip Morrisâ heated tobacco product iQOS for three months will receive a 25% discount, and people who quit smoking for at least a year will receive a 50%
Take up a new habit or give up all together? 
Importantly what compounds go into the magic of e-cigarette refills is open ended?
If P.M. were so concerned about peopleâs health they would simply stop making cigarettes today!
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More grubby tatics from Big Tobacco.
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Beverly Hills is banning both smoking and the sale of smoking products.
Big Tobacco will not like this.
Interesting to see the photo of cigarettes for sale. Open displays and no apparent deterring images on the packets or signs displayed to warn against smoking.
That is âAmerican freedomâ at its finest, right behind gun control. Mandating labelling such as ours has not withstood legal scrutiny, not have red light cameras (jurisdiction dependent). Unfortunately we are slowly acquiring American style âfreedomâ to supplant our own. It is freedom to be afraid and paranoid so everyone needs to take everything into their own hands including self-protection. Oh wait, donât many of us (not I!) vote or preference for a similar âevolutionâ espousing freedoms such as freedom of faith (to discriminate) and so on ?! Individuals are slowly being elevated against community, as happened in the US starting shortly after settlement. 
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" Itâs not good to smoke but you shouldnât hurt businesses." So public health is less important than business profits? Only in America! Sadly, Australiaâs going the same sociopathic way.
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It would appear to be true here as well.
Enterprise and the so called âsporting - we are not business enterprisesâ are more than prepared to get behind all manner of social movements, including standing against drugs and supporting social improvement (marriage reforms). But when it comes to other issues such as gambling and alcohol promotion there is no problem with conscience while they are adopting behaviors supportive of these products. They remain silent on Tobcacco.
Even Woolworths and Coles and IGA etc all still sell cigarettes, despite the harm proven from use of the product. Why should it need legislation to tell them to stop selling tobacco products?
They can just all do it and stop selling them. While it wonât end smoking at least they can stand firmly by demonstrating caring about the health of their customers.
Sellers and promoters of tobacco products canât even fall back to a âgamble responsiblyâ or drink responsibly" slogan for comfort.
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An interesting add, considering Iâve known two people who are part of the industry in a sales role.
The add promotes âa supportive yet challenging environmentâ!
Likely half true given both individuals have persistent smoking habits.
While for comparison the manager of our local bottle shop is a non-drinker. I wonder what the add for his job considered important?
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Primarily the ability to sell. A few of the employer reviews mentioned there comes a point where you struggle to justify the job given youâre selling a product that kills people 
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They can always fall back on âWe comply with the law, as soon as it is illegal we will stop selling it.â
This is very like extractive industries who fall back on compliance with legal environmental standards when they donât want to discuss the harm they do. The parallel with selling non-disintegrating wipes is also very strong. This ignores:
- even if legal it is still unethical to take action you know is harmful to society (applies to all),
- they have lobbied governments to not tighten the laws at every step (successfully in the case of miners),
- in the case of tobacco a deliberate strategy to use education and constraint rather than bans was used to avoid unintended the consequences of prohibition such as illegal importation.
Of course there is the old standby used by all âwe donât know for sure it is harmfulâ
When doubt is your product you can privatise your profits and socialise your losses.
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An article regarding nearly half of cancer patients quit smoking with a treatment program.
Unfortunately, there are some people that nothing will help.
A late uncle continued smoking even after he had a device inserted in his throat which he would hold a device that looked like a battery razor up to so he could speak, right up until he died of lung cancer.
His eldest child, who was a GP, smoked right from his uni days up until he died of lung cancer a few years ago.
I gave the disgusting habit away over 37 years ago, and at todayâs prices, I have saved around $300,000.
As soon as I find where I put the savings, I will be getting new new set of wheels.
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A couple of articles regarding researchers wanting warnings printed on individual cigarettes.
If the present very graphic warnings on the cigarette packets and the exorbiant prices are not working, I think that this will just be a waste of ink.
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I heard this earlier today on the news and thought I hope that all smokers have good eyesight as the writing would be smallâŠand from the news article, it would be the case.
On the flipside, smokers are unlikely to have good vision as vision loss is one of the health impacts of smoking.
What they should possibly do is wrap the cigarettes in shrink plastic or welded moulded plastic as these are not only childproof, but adult proof. It may have a greater impact on reducing tobacco consumption.
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Unfortunately, some of the smokers up here would just light up, shrink wrap and all.
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An article regarding smoking being banned in Melbourneâs Bourke St. Mall as from tomorrow.
An article regarding Hobart banning smoking in areas with $338 fines for offenders.
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I wish theyâd do this in Perth. As someone with breathing issues itâs not just frustrating when someone lights up in a no smoking zone, it makes me feel ill.
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Researchers have discovered a link between smoking and diabetes.
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