There is a free event at the IEA on nanny state cigarette plain packaging I hope you can join me.
14 March 2012, 6.30pm
IEA, 2 Lord North Street, London, SW1 (door on Great Peter Street)
“Does Packaging Influence Smoking?
Plain packaging does not work. Furthermore, it cannot work, argue Patrick Basham and John Luik in this timely, provocative book that confronts the public health establishment’s proposal to mandate the plain packaging of tobacco products.”
Please click on the link and register.
Regards
Dave
LifestyleReviews 
Dear Mr Atherton
It was a pleasure to meet you and some of your fellow bloggers (Chris and DP) at the IEA on 25 March.
I hope to be at this event, which also happens to be on (no) Smoking Day – http://www.nosmokingday.org.uk/
I’ll have to cadge a cigarette to celebrate.
DP
If you can, get it all out into the media.
You would think that the newspapers would see the implicaltions of a law that allows Public Health to dictate the size, shape,colour and pictures on cigarette packets. How long before they themselves are being forced to include health warnings and gruesome, obscene pictures as dictated by Public Health?
The Holy Zealots claim that tobacco is like no other product, “It kills when used as directed”. That is nonsense, but even if it were even slighty true, that arguement does not apply to the packaging!
This issue has been settled.
Advertising/pretty packages can not be proven in a court of law to cause people to start smoking nor is tobacco more addictive than cocaine.
Gary K.
http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/2005CSOH69.html#Preliminaries
OUTER HOUSE, COURT OF SESSION
[2005] CSOH 69
OPINION OF LORD NIMMO SMITH
in the cause
MRS MARGARET McTEAR
Pursuer;
against
IMPERIAL TOBACCO LIMITED
Defenders
PART IX: CONCLUSIONS AND RESULT
Conclusions
[9.1] I now set out my main conclusions, which should be read in conjunction with the passages of discussion to which cross-references are given.
[9.3] I am satisfied that advertising had nothing to do with his reasons for starting to smoke.(para.[4.226]).
[6.208]). The averment that tobacco is more addictive than cocaine is not proved.
“The Holy Zealots claim that tobacco is like no other product, “It kills when used as directed”. That is nonsense.”
Many claim it is the only product that does that.
But, WHERE ARE THE DIRECTIONS on a pack of cigarettes or anywhere else?
I have never seen any and I have been smoking for 50 years!!!!
I do not think it matters how it is packaged. You could put skull and crossbones all over the pack and people will still happily smoke them. Its a sad situation but a common and very real one.