"Cigarettes, are the only product in the world that if used according to the manufacturer's instructions, will kill one in every two users of it's product".

This statement was made by Ireland's previous Health Minister at the launch of the "plain packaging" for cigarettes, making it the first country in Europe and the 2nd in the world after Australia to do so. Many court cases are expected from the cigarette companies fighting the banning of their Trade Mark. The Australian Government has won every round so far in their courts brought by the cig, companies against it (to the best of my knowledge).

Plain packaging does not mean blank boxes. Every box will have on it photos of damage done by cigarettes, pics of rotting bodies and organs.

The above statement sometimes makes me wonder how people associated in the manufacture of this product, from the shareholders down, can sleep at night.

I myself smoked at least 30 to 40 a day until I managed to quit 13 years ago and it has been one of the greatest achievements of freedom in my entire life. I only mention this to show that if I can stop .........so too can you. ....Good Luck to all and GB.

Here's a another horrendous statistic!

http://ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_107.pdf

The marketing of death was "cool"

It was "liberating" for women

Its plainly just to supply the medical industry and to enslave all who are affected

Smoking is way down in America and must be promoted abroad to achieve more customers

Japan and China have been big growth markets

The only people I saw smoke in Thailand, were European and British

Sorry about the mis-spelling in the header, I was so busy checking what I had written before posting that I forgot to check my headline.