I am sure most of Freedom2Choose members pop across to FOREST’s website, and read and debate on Simon Clark’s Taking Liberties. The ‘Hands off our Packs’ campaign is being led by Angela Harbutt. I am also sure most of us have also signed the petition too, if not please click on this. This is yet one more step towards the denormalisation of smokers and, I believe, within 10 years the call for the complete illegalisation of tobacco. To stop this quite appalling chain of events every illiberal restriction has to be fought with the highest of vigour.
The plain packets will be an identical colour with just the brand name visible, and the font identical too. I am sure you are aware that the main idea is to reduce youth smoking. We all know this is nonsense. Like the 37p rise in the cost of a packet of cigarettes this will only add to the legal and illegal importation of cigarettes, many of dubious quality. It may well be a precedent for other goods to be labelled accordingly, especially alcohol and fast food. It is also an infringement of the free market and intellectual property rights, about which there is a vigorous debate going on at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and being in breach of Article 20 of the 1986 Uruguay round of negotiations.
Not only that: from my research it appears that hard drugs – that come in the plainest of packages – are consumed in equal or greater quantities than cigarettes in Australia by its youth. Nearly twice as many in the 14-19 year old age group have tried cannabis, 21.5% versus 12% for smoking and for all drugs combined nearly three times as much at 34.5%. It could be argued that the demonisation of smoking in Australia has led to the consumption of far worse substances.
Everyone at Freedom2Choose, I am sure, wishes this campaign the greatest of success.