Progress on plain packaging

48 comments on “Progress on plain packaging ”

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1. Richardrawshark 1

   1 June 2016 at 10:16 am

   Thanks for nothing, thanks for singling out smokers when you allow all other forms of intake that kill. Alchohol, petrol fumes, high particle content in tokoroa from Carter holt..

   But no lets pick on smoking while most Pacific people die from diabetes and sugar.

   A big FU to you all that do this to others..

   Educate, don’t legislate. My body my choice!!!!!!!
   • BM 1.1

     1 June 2016 at 10:21 am

     Are you a smoker Richard?
     • Richardrawshark 1.1.1

       1 June 2016 at 10:37 am

       sadly….how did you guess 🙂
       • BM 1.1.1.1

         1 June 2016 at 10:47 am

         A wild stab in the dark. 🙂

         Have you thought of growing your own?, I’ve heard it’s not that difficult to make your own tobacco.

         I’m guessing you smoke rollies?, you could grow your own and then cut it 50/50 with your preferred tobacco.
         That automatically cuts the price in half.

         Here’s a NZ website explaining what to do

         http://hubpages.com/living/Tobacco-Growing-and-Curing-at-Home
         • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.1.1

           1 June 2016 at 11:35 am

           If I still smoked I’d be growing my own and rolling them as cigars.
           • BM 1.1.1.1.1.1

             1 June 2016 at 11:39 am

             Yep I gave up a while ago.

             One day I stepped back and looked at the damage I was doing to my body and how much it was costing and thought “what the fuck am I doing?”

             Smoked a last disgusting packet of Rothams(smoked port royal for years) and then gave up cold turkey.
             • Draco T Bastard …

               1 June 2016 at 11:51 am

               Same for me really. I was doing about 35 a day (over $100/week 20 years ago) when I went cold turkey.
           • McFlock 1.1.1.1.1.2

             1 June 2016 at 2:56 pm

             tried that ages ago, failed dismally.

             It was, however, hours of tremendous fun for only the price of a seed packet 🙂
         • Richardrawshark 1.1.1.1.2

           1 June 2016 at 12:26 pm

           Thanks BM. I need to give it up, but I have MH issues, bi-polar, anxiety, weak excuses but hard to shake the habit I formed to de-stress.

           I don’t really want to smoke, to expensive, what I do want as mums English and said I should use the E Ciggy vapourisers, she says it’s straight nicotine with no tar etc, and can help you give up quickly, she said many English have successfully used them to quit.

           I tried patches etc, but they are actually to strong with my medication and make my heart pulpitate.
           • roy cartland 1.1.1.1.2.1

             1 June 2016 at 2:40 pm

             Totally grow your own. Then you’re not giving money to the bastards, and you’ll likely find the horticultural hooby takes out the ‘habit’ part and gets straight the actual ‘satisfaction’ part of smoking.

             I’m thinking of taking up smoking for just this reason.
   • b waghorn 1.2

     1 June 2016 at 11:11 am

     A sugar tax is coming , the pressure is mounting.
     • AmaKiwi 1.2.1

       1 June 2016 at 8:56 pm

       “A sugar tax is coming , the pressure is mounting.”

       Why not plain packaging for lollies, sugary drinks, booze?

       Why not ban advertising them, too?

       Winston Peters is right. Diabetes is a much greater public health menace than smoking yet we do NOTHING about it.
   • esoteric pineapples 1.3

     1 June 2016 at 1:20 pm

     I agree with you Richard
   • D'Esterre 1.4

     1 June 2016 at 6:52 pm

     Richardrawshark: this whole business is a diversionary tactic, designed to distract public attention from the housing disaster in Auckland, about which the gummint has no clue what to do. If the housing bubble bursts, they’ll drop this plain package thing like a pongy turd.
2. Andre 2

   1 June 2016 at 10:52 am

   It raises the question, how about similar packaging for alcoholic drinks, fizzy drinks, lollies, any other consumables considered harmful…?
   • roy cartland 2.1

     1 June 2016 at 2:54 pm

     Agree, and then we can move on to billboards. Seriously, who the f… really needs ’em?
     • MindPilot 2.1.1

       1 June 2016 at 3:03 pm

       Yeah. Let’s replace them with artworks not adworks.
   • AmaKiwi 2.2

     1 June 2016 at 8:57 pm

     + 100
3. Colonial Viper 3

   1 June 2016 at 10:59 am

   Will legislative and regulatory proposals like this limiting corporate behaviour be all over under the TPP.

   (rhetorical question…)
4. Draco T Bastard 4

   1 June 2016 at 11:24 am

   The advice I’ve been getting is that it’s safe to proceed.

   It should have been safe to proceed anyway. We’re not here to guarantee profits for the multi-national corporations and our government is here to do what’s best by us.
5. shorts 5

   1 June 2016 at 11:26 am

   punitive measures to get tough on smokers will reap the sorts of results that these sorts of get tough on things always do – a whole bunch of pain and silliness that could have been averted

   how about helping addicts to quit the habit – nah stuff that lets just vilify another segment of the population who in many cases are already part of those groups we’re told are scum (the poor)

   “Govt warned on ‘crazy’ lack of smokefree plan”

   http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/294039/govt-warned-on-'crazy'-lack-of-smokefree-plan

   **disclaimer, I am a addict in the process of trying to kick the habit
   • BM 5.1

     1 June 2016 at 11:31 am

     Don’t say you’re an addict, that just gives you an excuse not to stop.
     • shorts 5.1.1

       1 June 2016 at 11:39 am

       I don’t need nor am I looking for excuses, I am capable of continuing my journey of kicking this habit without the need to pretend or say I am not addicted, why would I deny what I am?
       • BM 5.1.1.1

         1 June 2016 at 11:41 am

         You need the get your mind in the right place before you can stop.

         Saying you’ve got an addiction give you an out and an excuse if you fail and start again.
         • Draco T Bastard 5.1.1.1.1

           1 June 2016 at 11:55 am

           Saying you’ve got an addiction give you an out and an excuse if you fail and start again.

           That’s what I was doing when I said I was trying to give up. By only trying meant it was ok to fail.

           The realisation that was what I was doing helped me to quit when I finally did.
         • shorts 5.1.1.1.2

           1 June 2016 at 12:38 pm

           oh I agree about the mind being in the right place

           I’m about 12 months into my journey… haven’t tried to stop totally yet as I’m not quite ready due to life pressures/stress – I’ve managed to go from 1 1/2 – 2 packs a day to 2-3 packs a fortnight (when really stressed, can go without for weeks at a time).

           I am using ecigs* when not smoking which saves loads of $$$ and I think is slowly taking me to the point where I can just stop. I’m not happy with the time its taking me but as I’ve resisted the urge to resume my serious habit I am pleased I am moving in the right direction and am confident that when I do take the plunge to cease everything I shall be successful

           *a lot more work needs to be done about them being a helpful aid to stopping cigarette smoking – way cheaper and while not deemed safe yet, they can’t be any worse than fags
   • Draco T Bastard 5.2

     1 June 2016 at 11:42 am

     Smokers have been getting help to quit for quite some time.
     • shorts 5.2.1

       1 June 2016 at 12:29 pm

       quitline is useful but could be beefed up hugely

       I’ve used them twice and both times I gave up on them as I found the service really irritating
       • Draco T Bastard 5.2.1.1

         1 June 2016 at 12:42 pm

         I was actually pointing to the subsidies available:

         A 4 week supply of one of these products costs around $5 with the option of a free repeat. Without the subsidy an 8 week supply of these products could cost you over $200.
         • shorts 5.2.1.1.1

           1 June 2016 at 12:56 pm

           oh yeah that part is real good, I appreciated that part of the service – the texts and calls you get as support were so not for me
   • AmaKiwi 5.3

     1 June 2016 at 9:04 pm

     “how about helping addicts to quit the habit”

     We do. Ask your doctor.

     A three month supply of nicotine patches and gum are provided by Pharmac for the $5 price of a prescription. Ask about government paid for “quit smoking” programs.
6. esoteric pineapples 6

   1 June 2016 at 1:24 pm

   The whales and the rest of the world’s marine life which are dying from governments like this one doing nothing about pollution from packaging have a message for Key, English and their mates – “thanks for nothing”
7. riffer 7

   1 June 2016 at 3:13 pm

   Crikey, the answer to all this is simple. Just legislate for a maximum amount of nicotine to be allowed in cigarettes, and make that amount progressively smaller, while maintaining the price.

   If, as the cigarette manufacturers claim, the smokers are buying it for the taste, there will be no difference.

   But somehow I doubt it. They wouldn’t dare do that because people would stop smoking and they’d lose that precious tax revenue.

   Changing to plain packaging alone won’t stop people smoking. The stuff is addictive. You need to remove the addictive component.
   • Ad 7.1

     1 June 2016 at 3:45 pm

     The smokeless e-cigarettes deliver the nicotine just fine.
   • dukeofurl 7.2

     1 June 2016 at 5:33 pm

     The nicotine isnt harmful in its self. The restrictions on cigarettes are for the tar and other harmful products inhaled.
     Much easier to price them highly and restrict all cigarettes not nicotine free ones. As people will still smoke even if no nicotine if its the habit of a life time.
     • AmaKiwi 7.2.1

       1 June 2016 at 9:05 pm

       Nicotine alone IS cancer causing.
8. Ad 8

   1 June 2016 at 3:48 pm

   You can get very nice unpackaged single cigars at the Cubana cigar shop on High Street in Auckland. The good ones start at about $60.

   Failing that, the best cigar range I’ve seen is at the Dubai duty free stores.
   They have serious range there. Plus – believe it or not – glass rooms just for smokers (!)
9. Slippery 9

   1 June 2016 at 4:50 pm

   next should be Plain labeling of all alcohol products
   ,with pictures of smashed up cars on it & all fast food plain packaged with
   pictures of morbidly obese fatties on them
   • dukeofurl 9.1

     1 June 2016 at 5:25 pm

     Thats not required. Food is essential of course, while alcohol isnt harmful in moderation. Every cigarette is harmful and addictive to boot.
     • AmaKiwi 9.1.1

       1 June 2016 at 9:10 pm

       “alcohol isn’t harmful in moderation”

       That is very questionable. Alcohol is a poison which attacks every organ in the body.

       My GP says alcohol is empty calories and therefore it is almost impossible to lose weight if you drink just one glass of wine a day.
10. weston 10

    1 June 2016 at 6:08 pm

    amazing….watching all you gloating health snobs loving the prospect of smokers having to buy their tobacco in plain packets plain that is apart from graphic pictures of rotting lungs etc and other dire warnings and general propaganda.
    before you pass around the drugs of YOUR choice tho it might pay to consider what will be the logical result of this BRILLIANT /sarc move Do you really think us smokers are gonna pick up our deliberately made ugly so called plain packets and look at them???nope these packets will go straight into the rubbish bin where they belong and the tobacco will go into an alternative container which the market will undoubtedly provide .Further if the govt which ever it is carries on increasing taxes on tobacco this will simply result in more people growing their own and or buying it on the black market .None of this is rocket science !!!
    • roy cartland 10.1

      1 June 2016 at 7:47 pm

      OK I’ll bite:

      It’s not about smokers. You’re already dead to us. It’s about deterring would-be smokers – like you once were, and only took it up because it you bought the propaganda that it was “cool” and “rebellious”.
      • Naki man 10.1.1

        1 June 2016 at 9:02 pm

        Nice work roy.
        Poor wee weston, it sounds like he has a chip on both shoulders.
        • AmaKiwi 10.1.1.1

          1 June 2016 at 9:13 pm

          The new form of cigarette advertising are TV and film heroes smoking like chimneys. Tobacco companies help finance the movie/show in return for scenes of lead characters constantly lighting up.
        • weston 10.1.1.2

          2 June 2016 at 6:21 pm

          at least i can form my own opinions naki man all you seem able to do is parrot other peoples ! can you say pollie wants a cracker yet ?
      • weston 10.1.2

        2 June 2016 at 6:17 pm

        wrong roy i was a late starter due to buying the vast amount of propaganda that was bandied arround in schools even back then .i was going down to wellington
        with some mates got offered one reluctantly tried it and found it tasted fantastic !
        • roy cartland 10.1.2.1

          3 June 2016 at 8:35 am

          Well then, you were able to make an ‘informed’ choice weren’t you? Good for you. So you obviously support that side of the argument.
11. Jamie 11

    2 June 2016 at 8:45 pm

    Thank you national and labour for tag-teaming up to jack this working mans durries up to $78 a pack.

    I’ll never forget

    Thank you thank you thank you

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