Thailand Will Have World's Largest Warning Labels On Cigarette Packs

[h90]

Why don't they put warning labels on alcohol? Because alcohol is also a killer that causes throat cancer, liver decease, kidney failure, pancreas failure, sexual dysfunction and many others. Most related incidents at the hospital are caused by alcohol.

They don't put on bottles, or cans. Do not drive whilst intoxicated.

I think this is a very good argument, but I know that a few posters will disagree

They won't put it on alcohol, because alcohol is the governments no 1 ATM machine.

AND, you don't cause car accidents because you are so drunk from the cigarettes. You don't beat your wife because you can't control yourself in your nicotine intoxication.

And most important, you don't loose brain cells like drinker, specially cheap lao kao....

[Shiver]

I am a supplement manufacturer (vitamins, herbal teas etc), and the loop holes and regulations I have to deal with in creating a simple label for a product to pass FDA regulations are 'trying', to say the least, but I look at cigarettes, coca cola, alcohol, deoderants etc, because of my particular interest in labels I don't see anything on them telling you what to do with them, how much, the consequences or benefits, what the RDA is or anything else. Try looking for a toothpaste without fluoride (they are out there, but they're minority providers). I dig deep into all the chemicals that are in these products and it consumes my life working out the what, where, why, interactions etc.

At the end of the day to switch off all the madness I smoke cigarettes and drink crappy chemical beer...... Not smart I know, but fighting the machine takes its toll, and the antidote is the casinos own currency. We're all being played, whether informed or not.

As a smoker I can tell you that you don't look at the box (the menu is not the meal), and there's no link to show that the image on the box was anything to do with the product inside, it's acceptance of contract by default. On the other hand, next time you pick up a nivea aerosol, or a skin whitening cream with a picture of a shiny happy family unit on the box, or turn on the tv (I haven't an perhaps more than a year now), look at how 'images' make sales, without having a single line of text on them to make them liable for any consequence. Picture speaks a 1000 words?

[Andre0720]

The most effective warning comes from education by a father.... So about 52% of teens smoke now in Thailand. Gives you an idea,,,

Edited February 2, 2013 by Andre0720

[Andre0720]

How can anyone be opposed to this?

Smoking is ridiculous. And yes, I'm a reformed smoker. Or the truer term, a smoker who doesn't smoke.

yes it is ridiculous but it is everyones own choice, or?

(edit: corrected spelling mistake)

A choice. Get real....

Frying your brain ob Ya bah is a choice.

Committing suicide or an assassination is also a choice....Get the idea!!!!....

[mylk]

This is a sensible idea which ultimately might persuade users to quit their addiction.

The nanny state of Australia recently implemented legislation to make all cigi packets an olive green colour- absolute waste of time

By making all packets the same colour it actually prevents marketing strategies for the tabacco companies. This was one of their main objectives as to coherse the potentially younger users (and any older smokers are so easily cohersed by image). Image in their marketing was one of their strong objectives. Then i guess the addiction would follow.

[Thai at Heart]

To h90 there are many vsrieties of tobacco with different sugar and nicotine contents.

Some 5% nicotine, some 0.5%.

[RisqEM]

They should put warning labels on taxis, tuk tuks, and their women too!!!!

[dunque]

Sorry Australia has already beaten you to it. Australia now has plain packaging with the entire box taken up with graffic pics and warning. The tabacco companies took the government to court over this and lost. Unless Thailand intend to make bigger packs then sorry they have ran 2nd. The court proceeding were being watched by a lot of other countries who may now follow Australia's lead.

Well done - mind you, forgive us if we don't follow Australia's example of being one of he most obscene carbon emitters

[phuketjock]

Lets face it, there has to be some thing not quite right with Some one who Smokes, maybe they are not 100%. With all the medical evidence what damage it does to the body, So I don't need a warning. it amazes me how many people, quite rightly bang on about drug takers, yet you see people standing in the street killing themselves and others with there smoking. But up to them there body, I live in the UK, So maybe it could be classed as self inflicted, so here is the Bill, and before anyone goes on about the tax they pay, you would never pay enough tax for the cost of the medical bill, and the after care needed. .

For your information Thongkom the revenue garnered by the UK government in tax from the sale of tobacco alone

is substantialy more than the total cost of the NHS year on year so you can thank a smoker everytime you have to

visit your doctor or go to hospital. , It would not surprise me if the situation was similar in many other countries

that have national health systems similar to UK, such as Australia to mention one.

[ballpoint]

I'm waiting for the day when fast food outlets must have 85% of their exterior covered in pictures of fat people, rather than the current 85% of their interior full of fat people.

It's here already, it's called drive-thru.

I tried that once. It isn't easy, the tables are too close together.

[a99az]

Wonderful. Thailand making a positive step in the right direction.

[T_Dog]

Deaths in my family due to lung cancer from smoking:

Father. Age 51

Sister. Age 59

Ex father in law. Age 67

Mother in law. Age 56

My current father in law, age 59 is currently in the hospital fighting stage 4 lung cancer. The statistic that I have been able to gather show that about 30 percent of smokers die before they reach the age of 60. It certainly rings true in my experience.

[chrisinth]

Come on guys, you need to stop hating on every single thing the government does, if anything this is a good step forward. Of course there is A LOT more that can be done (e.g. heavy tax on tobacco).

I don't think anyone hates the government (in this case) for their actions. What I hate is the hypocrisy of all governments that continue to allow a product that has been proven (apparently!) to cause death to its users to be sold across the counter only for the tax return it puts into the coffers of that country.

The decals they intend to use (covering 85% of the packet instead of the current 55%) won't, IMHO as a smoker myself, deter anyone more than it does at present. Personally, I use a cigarette case; I have used that for years to stop the soft packets getting crushed in my pockets, and not because of the pictures, so it really doesn't mean anything to me.....................

So your'e health doesn't mean anything to you? It's the most important thing in your'e life while you've still got it.

Sorry Possum, I'm 55 years old, smoking since I was about 12 and really don't need to be told about the risks of smoking. My point in that post was that, IMHO the increase in the decal size won't make any difference with the exception of making some fcukwit in government have a feel-good factor for a couple of days...........

[bra]

The idea of banning substances contained in cigarettes expressed in readers comments above really appeals to me. Certainly it would be a world first in the campaigns against smoking cigarettes. However such an approach would be very difficult to police. Perhaps better to enforce existing laws against smoking in enclosed spaces or even reinforcing that law to 'No Smoking in Public'.

If some people want to ruin their health by smoking, contary to all medical advice round the world, then by all means try every reasonable means to help them give up. If in the end they decide to continue, then I guess there is no way of stopping them - they are after all addicted.

However the rules/laws of where you can smoke need extending and reinforcement. In my country it is not permitted to smoke anywhere where food or drink are consumed, indoors or out. This is enforced, and no bars or restaurants have gone broke because of these laws.

I find in Thailand that there are some restaurants and bars with segregated areas, but the non smokers are kept inside, whilst the smokers enjoy the outdoors, best sea views etc.

It appears that Europeans and Chinese are the main offenders who want to smoke nearly everywhere. Whats happened to 5000 years of civilisation???

[chrisinth]

The most effective warning comes from education by a father.... So about 52% of teens smoke now in Thailand. Gives you an idea,,,

What would you guess the percentage is of teens smoking in your home country? I think you may be surprised.......

[supaprik]

"There will be 10 picture warnings showing in graphic detail the consequences of smoking, including laryngeal cancer, heart failure, stroke, oral cancer, sexual dysfunction, lung cancer, emphysema and chronic bad breath."

I wonder how they will show a graphic detail warning picture of sexual dysfunction, I for one really want to see that pic!!

[Jing Joe]

Old Fact--- "Smoking is a dying habit".

Recent scientific fact-- About 60% of smokers develop extra brain receptor sites for Nicotine. No wonder quitting can be tough for some. If only horror graphics might just prevent one more victim??

Smoking:- not - "how cool" -- but "how cruel"

Latest Australian fact-- since the latest larger horror pics on packs "users" have saved older less graphic packets reloading them, so as not to be reminded. (Feedback from the drug dealing outlets.) No impact some say? One entepreneur here produced $5 plain reusable packs to reload.

Good on you Thailand.

I agonized seeing an addicted friend die in hospital from emphasymia some 40 years ago.

They revived him 5 times over some weeks and every time he begged them not to.

The only thing he wanted to quit was LIFE itself. He had no energy to cough and I still squirm as I write this.

Next move???- Every time on opening the lid, automatically hear a coughing audio of just one of the millions since then who have suffered and died like he did. Technically feasible. Christmas cards and gimmick ash trays have done this for years.

Whatever it takes.

Again I say-- Good on you Thailand.

[lemoncake]

Since the whole world is so worried about smoking, why do not they spend the billions they spend on advertising campaigns and all other rubbish , spend it on subsidy for NIcarretes and Nicabates and all other new inventions which supposedly help to stop smoking.

[chrisinth]

Come on guys, you need to stop hating on every single thing the government does, if anything this is a good step forward. Of course there is A LOT more that can be done (e.g. heavy tax on tobacco).

I don't think anyone hates the government (in this case) for their actions. What I hate is the hypocrisy of all governments that continue to allow a product that has been proven (apparently!) to cause death to its users to be sold across the counter only for the tax return it puts into the coffers of that country.

The decals they intend to use (covering 85% of the packet instead of the current 55%) won't, IMHO as a smoker myself, deter anyone more than it does at present. Personally, I use a cigarette case; I have used that for years to stop the soft packets getting crushed in my pockets, and not because of the pictures, so it really doesn't mean anything to me.....................

smoking does not CAUSE death. It causes cancer and other diseases.

It is well proven that natural tobacco is much less harmful than cigarettes. Partially because smoke much less of it. So the right thing would be to get the chemical crap out of the cigarettes. Than I would say, with the pictures on the packs everyone know what he does. So for grown up people it is their own decision if they want to smoke, drink, eat too much etc etc. Don't need the country messing around in my privacy.

(I am not smoking I stopped a few years ago).

"smoking does not CAUSE death. It causes cancer and other diseases"

Yep, have to agree with you on that h90! Maybe should have said contributes to instead of causes..............

Congrats for being able to give it up, wish I could................. Willpowers off on holiday.......

Edit for typo

Edited February 2, 2013 by chrisinth

[Bagwan]

And zero provable effect on consumption so far.

True. Smokers will smoke, but maybe "new wannabees" wil decide not too (?)

Whatever. If less people smoke, the less people buy smokes which equals less people buying smokes which equals less demand, whcih equals cheaper smokes FOR ME!!!

I really don't care about what non-smoking people have to say , in fact it makes me want to smoke more just to piss them off. We all die and I want to die doing what I want to do, not what the latest trend says and if you think it thats a defestist attitude thats fine.

I hate people who think smoking is evil, or maybe it is....then I am the devil.......and loving it. I will dance on the grave of all you pussy anti smokers with glee. I know of what I speak since I know that genetics is what determines our fate.

My grandpa and grandme live tll 102 years (actually 101 for my Gma). And I think you can live forever if you follow your own path and have your own life ignoring the scare tactics of modern society.

Don't be silly. This is Thailand. If there is less demand then the price will go UP in accordance with what passes for Thai logic.

[koto]

Ok how the heck do you take a picture of bad breath ???

Easy just take a picture of a smoker

[koto]

Good luck, they have shown warnings on the packs for some reason increases sales!

One would wonder what that says, about the smoker...

[koto]

Unfortunately, I went back to smoking when I came to Thailand. 66b a pack at every corner store and singles sold in between. I had been using skoal or snus to stay off but ran out and couldn't find it here before I had weened myself off the nicotine.

Does this mean, due to a savings on killing yourself, you feel it was a good deal?

Just trying to understand the logic...

[Fozfromoz]

Good luck, they have shown warnings on the packs for some reason increases sales!

One would wonder what that says, about the smoker...

Albert Einstein was a smoker. I believe he was credited as being fairly intelligent.

[TamieAnthas]

I used to smoke a packet to two a day for more than 10 years. I quited few years ago, I woke up one morning and decided to give it up because I was scared of lung cancer. I haven't touched one cigarette since that day. I know it is extreamly hard for many people to quit, it is a habbit more than anything. Making the warning labels bigger is not gonna make any difference. If a person wants to smoke he/she will buy a packet and do so regardless. But I applaud any government that tries to do something about it. Plus they are geeting way too expensive.

[ThaiPauly]

What gets me is that governments will initiate all these new ways to make you think that they don't want you to smoke, but the reality is that if everybody gave up their treasury chests would be decimated, especially western countries where the tax is so high.

So why don't they just ban smoking?, if it's so bad for us then every country in the world should ban it...but they won't, they just pay lip service to the anti-smoking brigade.

Lets face it...if smoking was invented today it would be considered a "class a drug", tobacco kills many more people than drugs do.

[Andre0720]

The most effective warning comes from education by a father.... So about 52% of teens smoke now in Thailand. Gives you an idea,,,

What would you guess the percentage is of teens smoking in your home country? I think you may be surprised.......

No need to guess..

Canadian smokers at a glance

• People age 18 to 34 form the highest proportion of smokers, at 28 per cent.
  
• More men than women smoke. In 2010, 24.2 per cent of males and 17.4 per cent of females smoked.
  

[TamieAnthas]

Since the whole world is so worried about smoking, why do not they spend the billions they spend on advertising campaigns and all other rubbish , spend it on subsidy for NIcarretes and Nicabates and all other new inventions which supposedly help to stop smoking.

I could not agree more with you.

[Fookhaht]

This is something that costs the Govt nothing but makes it look like they are doing something.

Actually, by not being pro-active, it costs the government a bundle. I don't know what the government health-care costs are for the tens of thousands in hospitals and cancer hospices for smoking-related cancer victims, but I'm sure it's substantial and it has finally gotten someone's attention.

It's simply prudent economics to get the population off the world's most addictive substance (nicotine) and experiencing the dire consequences of its habitual use. Same scenario which played itself out in the west, decades ago.

Edited February 2, 2013 by Fookhaht

[Fozfromoz]

What gets me is that governments will initiate all these new ways to make you think that they don't want you to smoke, but the reality is that if everybody gave up their treasury chests would be decimated, especially western countries where the tax is so high.

So why don't they just ban smoking?, if it's so bad for us then every country in the world should ban it...but they won't, they just pay lip service to the anti-smoking brigade.

Lets face it...if smoking was invented today it would be considered a "class a drug", tobacco kills many more people than drugs do.

You have that spot on. All governments are hypocrites in this area.