Should cigarette displays be prohibited?

[SalesServiceGuy]

If New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gets his way, stores won't be able to publicly display tobacco products and will have to keep cigarettes under the counter or behind curtains.

The proposed NY City law would "prohibit display of tobacco products" in most retail shops, Bloomberg said. "Such displays suggest smoking is a normal activity and invite young people to experiment with tobacco."

After big soda ban, NYC's Mayor Bloomberg wants to hide cigarettes - U.S. News

This law has been enforced federally across Canada for many years. No one complains anymore, not even the cigarette companies. In fact, most public forms of cigarette advertising is banned and cigarette packaging must contain stern warnings about the the bad effects on your health. Plus, cigarettes are taxed at a very high rate. Where I live, a pack of 20 smokes cost $13.00.

[banginbishop]

Re: Should cigarette displays be prohibited?

its here in the uk but it wont stop you smoking, i should know i started again after a six year gap. Its aimed at kids but its crap, if children want cigs they steal off somone who smokes i.e parents.

[JR2ALTA]

Canada may like nannies we don't.

NY has a paternalistic mayor who loves sticking his billionaire nose in decent peoples lives under the guise of pubic health.

He was elected to be a steward of public finance and municipal duties not to rid the world of bad habits.

[mojorolla]

Re: Should cigarette displays be prohibited?

His 16oz soda BS got shot down by the courts...now this BS. Is he gonna ban adds for Bacon Double Cheeseburgers next? Why not ban alcohol advertising while he's at it? IF you think about it, the vast majority of advertising is for unhealthy products or material things we do not need. You don't see adverts for the 5th annual Broccoli Sale, but we have beer and smokes at state miniumum prices. And let us not forget the pharmaceutical adverts..."tell your doctor"...shouldn't your doctor be telling you? The government is in our lives enough as it it, we do not need them in our doctors office or our kitchens. What's next, the bedroom....er...too late on that one.

Keep YOUR laws off MY body.

[Tonerbomb]

Re: Should cigarette displays be prohibited?

Canada may like nannies we don't.

NY has a paternalistic mayor who loves sticking his billionaire nose in decent peoples lives under the guise of pubic health.

He was elected to be a steward of public finance and municipal duties not to rid the world of bad habits.

nanny nanny boo boo He's coming for your Alcohol next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bloomberg won't just be happy with the sin taxes!!!!

[Tonerbomb]

Re: Should cigarette displays be prohibited?

The government is in our lives enough as it it, we do not need them in our doctors office or our kitchens. What's next, the bedroom....er...too late on that one.

Keep YOUR laws off MY body.

Can you say affordable Health care Act..ERRRR OBAMA DON't Care ???? Too much Uncle Sam .....Smaller is better !!!!

[nmfaxman]

Re: Should cigarette displays be prohibited?

Have you noticed that everything "healthy" is more expensive, and the things that make us feel better is taxed out the ass?
Shouldn't it be the other way around.

Sniff, sniff. I smell a conspiracy.

[kyrenecopy]

Re: Should cigarette displays be prohibited?

This is real simple; cigarettes are legal. Period. They should be able to advertise them any way they see fit as long as they follow the same rules as any other business that sells products to the masses. I find that picking on one product or type of product to be discriminatory if you ask me.

[fixthecopier]

Re: Should cigarette displays be prohibited?

This is real simple; cigarettes are legal. Period. They should be able to advertise them any way they see fit as long as they follow the same rules as any other business that sells products to the masses. I find that picking on one product or type of product to be discriminatory if you ask me.

Just for the sake of discussion, assault rifles and handguns are legal, so should it be OK to run commercials for them during prime time? You notice that you don't see adds for them. Until recently it was illegal to advertise hard liquor on TV.

[Shadow1]

Re: Should cigarette displays be prohibited?

Smoke 'em if ya got 'em - Who cares where you put them, people will buy them if they want them, but there should be a total ban on smoking in any public place. You want to poison yourself, go right ahead, but I don't want to have to smell it...

...and I say that as a former smoker. Honestly, I didn't even smoke inside my own house out of respect for my wife and kids. Sux freezing my butt off, lighting up a coffin nail out in the cold rain, but I wasn't going to make anybody else deal with my death wish.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: Should cigarette displays be prohibited?

The underlying theme is that smokers cause an undue financial burden on the health care system. Any public health measure that reduces people's likelihood to not buy a pack of cigarettes is a good thing, especially for young people who are not yet addicted to tobacco.

I do not have the stats handy but I bet cigarettes kill more Americans every year than guns, alcohol and liquor combined.

[Kidaver]

Re: Should cigarette displays be prohibited?

Anything and everything can kill you in some form or fashion...should we ban everything?

[Akitu]

Re: Should cigarette displays be prohibited?

NY has a paternalistic mayor who loves sticking his billionaire nose in decent peoples lives under the guise of pubic health.

I'm just gonna leave this here...

When you see it...

Also, I tend to agree with the notion to ban advertising for certain products. Why should the gov't be allowed to advertise cigarettes and tobacco, which has been proven to kill hundreds of thousands every year from the byproducts that get tossed in with the tobacco - but that same gov't refuses to advertise for something like marijuana, which has never proven to be a direct cause of death in anyone who has used it, save for an allergic reaction or something to that effect. Simply because it's not legalized and it's not taxed - capitalism at its finest, I think.

Like SalesServiceGuy said, the advertising ban on tobacco been in effect here for quite a while now. All the cigarettes in the large retail stores are kept behind cabinets usually behind the customer service counter, locked up and out of sight. Granted, a child/minor who wishes to smoke will undoubtedly have sources for their habit, it doesn't mean that there should be ads also trying to reel in new customers. If the tobacco companies cared about their patrons, they wouldn't be pushing so hard to replace the ones they're killing off.

Also - I 100% support the action of putting graphic warnings on the packs of cigarettes. I had a cousin born less than a week ago - the mother read the warnings on the packages and chose to ignore them and continued smoking tobacco throughout the pregnancy, and the baby was born under 6 lbs and had a growth on his liver. Just because the warnings are there, doesn't mean the consumers will pay attention to them. The thing is, once a consumer is hooked on tobacco, they tend to overlook the graphic warnings that are displayed just so they can get their fix while feeling guilt free. The companies don't care, nor will the consumers - an addict is an addict after all.

Has the ban had any serious effect in deterring new consumers from trying tobacco? I can't say for sure. I'd still think that peer pressure will be the #1 salesman for any addictive substance, it's just up to the individual to make the choice as to whether or not they wish to succumb to the pressure. I'd like to think that the graphic warnings have made at least one person seriously stop and think about what kind of crap they're putting into their bodies, and hopefully reconsider their choice - but perhaps that's just the optimist in me.