And now for something completely different....

[electric*mayhem*band]

Pythonism ! Well we already have Darwinism, now we have Pythonism.

Today is the ' The Great British Cigarette Debacle'. It's the day when, by law, all cigarettes in places where these are sold, must be hidden behind closed doors. No longer will you be able to see these displayed, since the reason behind this is because (apparently) kids find the packets attractive. How they arrive at this theory, is beyond me. I personally, have never found a ciggie packet particularly aesthetic, in fact I've always thought they were all rather bland and uninteresting. And they're certainly not very nice now, with images of blocked arteries and rotting teeth. I don't ever recall seeing a pack with a picture of a 'celebrity' or sportsman, a cartoon character or an Avatar, a nice psychedelic or floral pattern on them. Still, the teenagers find them appealing so it seems.

From today you are not allowed to ask a shopkeeper which are the cheapest brand, because they are not meant to tell you. Some shop owners know which brand of smokes a particular customer buys, and will automatically take them from the shelf without them asking for them. Well not any longer. If they do so, they are breaking the law. They have also been issued with minute price stickers to place over the existing ones. This is because customers are not permitted to actually see the prices, only the person serving them. At the bottom of the sliding doors there is a strip of metal. This is designed to prevent toddlers from looking up and viewing the contents. (Assuming the sprogs can manage to get behind the counter in the first place, of course).

The next salute is that they are thinking of making all cigarette packets plain, which sort of makes all of the above a tad silly. Honestly, you couldn't make it up. And I haven't. This was told to me by the manageress of my local 'Supernews'. Now you may think this was all an edict by the Health & Safety nannies. Not so. It was issued by Comedy Dave and his band of Crackpots.

When you think that a teenager could walk into any supermarket, remove a bottle of Vodka from the shelf, and neck it on the spot if the mood takes them, it makes all of this nonsense above even more ridiculous. Truly, the world has gone bonkers.

[Anonymous]

Yep it's all a lot of bull Emb.

There should be a health warning on anything with artificial sweetners........................but no, they are healthy for you.... aren't they????

Keep distracting people with anti tobacco adverts, so we can sell them all the other poison without them knowing it or even better....letting them think they are actually taking something healthy.....What a con!

Welcome to the world of madness.

[suzieseaside]

I agree, and the cost of shutters to hide them borne by shopkeepers - apparently about £15 million in total.  In context with alcohol being openly for sale it makes no sense to me.

Outside pubs I see teenagers (and adults) hurting others - starting fights etc because they are drunk and aggressive. At least if they smoke they are only damaging themselves, and I rather suspect that the amount of binge drinking that goes on is causing more acute damage sooner than smoking.

I doubt that hiding tobacco wil make any difference; recreational drugs are not visible or openly for sale but that doesn't stop a large proportion of teenagers using them. 

[mustard-tree]

Every brand is listed online, illustrated and they deliver it to your door.

[margaret*e]

I've never met anyone who started smoking because they liked the packet.

[fionajohnston]

the age limit to buy cigs is 18 and  an offence to sell to a younger person.

at 18 you can look at drink and choose what to buy,at 18 you can look at a male/female and decide to marry

but no-one can look at cigs no matter their age

it is a sap to the anti-smooking brigade

the worse offendersof  selling to underage people is all the markets/boot sales and the like,they will sell to any-one

[cee-dee]

You're not wrong.

Now I'm not a smoker and never have been but so long as I don't have to sample second-hand smoke I think that so far as tobacco is concerned, people should be allowed to look at and buy what they like.

OK, smoking kills but it doesn't kill everyone. There are people who've smoked all their lives and have lived to a great age. If you're susceptible, it'll get ya, if you're not, you're OK.

Driving kills but not every driver gets killed and it's not only the drivers that get killed but people can look at whatever cars and adverts they like without interference.

The way the do-gooders are taking over, the next thing is they'll be trying to prevent any form of smoking being shown in films and on TV which might see them pressing for all old films to have the smoking scenes edited out. Where's it gonna end?

[bankhaunter]

Cars don't kill or injure people simply by being driven.

Alcohol only causes harm if a person overindulges and not in every case, no problem if used in moderation.

There is no safe limit for cigarettes, they are extremely addictive and just because they don't actually kill you, they still damage your body in a number of ways.

[Anonymous]

So does alcohol.

[bankhaunter]

Alcohol may become addictive with some people if they regularly drink a bit too much but it isn't automatically addictive unlike tobacco.

The point of the law is to stop tobacco products being waved in front of people's eyes particularly young people and why there's even a comment of it now is a bit beyond me, certainly in my local supermarket there has been a shutter up at the kiosk for well over a year but no one seems to have taken any notice.

[suzieseaside]

Supermarkets had to comply a while ago but smaller shops, newsagents, off licences etc didn't have to until last week (6th April). That's why the OP commented.

[electric*mayhem*band]

Wonderful Archie, the Amazing Conrad Pooh and his Amazing Dancing Teeth. Now touring the provinces with the Amazing Winifred Attwell and her Amazing Whistling Piano, supported by the Amazing Jess Yates and his Amazing Singing Organ. Tickets available from all good Poundland outlets..........Moving on....

_______________________________________

@bankhaunter wrote:

Alcohol may become addictive with some people if they regularly drink a bit too much but it isn't automatically addictive unlike tobacco.

 ______________________________________

Are you having a laugh ? Have you never heard of 'Alcoholics Annonymous' ? Are there no 'Drink & Drugs' clinics/centres in your area ?

   I had a colleague who died at the ripe old age of 42 through cirrhosis of the liver, due to his predilection for booze. You try telling his father that the craving for the Gin bottle isn't addictive.   

  Conversely I know someone who can buy twenty cigarettes, and two weeks later he might be smoking the last one. He may not buy anymore for the next three months. Hardly addictive, is it ?

  True, the sliding doors in front of the cigarette shelves in supermarket have been in situ for quite some time. However, they weren't legally obliged to have them closed until the 6th inst.

[cee-dee]

Just a couple of reflections...........:-

One of my walks with the dog took me along an old railway track which is now a walk in a park. Part of it is along the edge of a hillside above a lake. Along there were a couple of donated seats (until the vandals pulled them up and threw them down the bank) and often there'd be an alky or two with their sad carrier bags full of cans and/or cheap cider.

Of course, the empty cans and bottles got thrown down the bank (and they're still there). One young chap was there nearly every day until a few years ago, he disappeared. Talking about him to the water bailiff, I was told he'd died.....

I often meet an old chap in his 80's who's always smoking. I mentioned the young chap above to him one day and he didn't say much.......

Speaking another day to the bailiff I learned (with horror) that I'd had  foot-in-mouth moment.... the young alky was the son of the old chap...... He'd died in his 30's, so young but he wouldn't stop drinking!

The thing is, the old chap is and always has been a smoker and I still meet him out walking his dog and he's still smoking, still well and walking about OK.

Both alcohol and tobacco can be killers to those susceptible but other people can partake to a great age. What's that old saying? "Eat, drink and be merry". Look what they've found now:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-32233571

I suppose some study or other might soon discover that smoking is good for some people.......?

[fallen-archie]

Doughnuts

What can be nicer than a freshly cooked Doughnut drenched in Cinnamon sugar and injected with Raspberry jam.
Too much Sugar, too much fat? Yet despite this I still have an irreversable desire to consume one.

[cee-dee]

Dem dere gorillers'll eat anyfink

[fallen-archie]

Behave Dear Boy, I'm in charge of the jelly for your Birthday I might just be tempted to add a little Polish vodka, You wouldn't want to be seen in a merry state now would you   

[cee-dee]

How kind of you to produce a projected image of my future old age, meanwhile the least I can do is reciprocate with a current one of you.

[fallen-archie]

What a wonderful specmen of a beast, The Apes are of course an endangered speces unlke the Aristocracy who are always in attendance. Bless you for your kndness and may your upcoming Birthday be full of whatever floats your boat.

[cee-dee]

Silverbacks like to be the centre of attention of the Troop unlike us Aristocrats who mostly remain aloof and indifferent to the riff-raff, only making the occasional reference to them when their raucous behaviour attracts our critical attention.