I’M still in the process of giving up smoking. It’s going OK, though have had a couple of slip-ups, one being on No Smoking Day. In my defence, I had absolutely no idea that it was No Smoking Day! There was nothing in any of the tabloids, nothing in the news, apart from the story about the ban on the display of cigarettes in shops. I honestly didn’t put the two together. I have to say, I can’t see how banning them on display will have that much of an effect. I don’t know anyone who’s gone into a shop, and like the lure of a Mars bar, thought “ooh, those Silk Cut look attractive, I think I’ll start smoking”. But on the flip side, there’s certainly no harm in doing it. To … Read entire article »

Australia is planning ban branding on cigarette packaging and makes bigger graphic health warnings in what is being billed as a world-first. The measure is due to come into force in July 2012 and comes on the back of recommendations made by the World Health Organization. Almost 15,000 Australians die of tobacco -related diseases every year. Tobacco is the single cause to preventable death and which can be prevented. Because of the new law, cigarette manufacturers would have to drop all color and branding logos from cigarette packs. All tobacco products will have to be sold in a standard color and style, and carry government health warnings. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that tobacco companies would “hate” this measure but said his government made no apologies. “Cigarettes are not cool,” he … Read entire article »