As of yesterday, the Government, bless them, decided that us smokers were just not getting the message and have included graphic warnings on the packets.

The picture is basically a full colour image of a man with a huge tumour in his throat.

Now, I smoke. I don't particularly like it but I'm chemically addicted; what I'd like to know from people is whether you think this level of 'shock' advertising is seriously questionable, especially considering that said packets will be visible to minors?

Most smokers are fully aware of the fact that smoking shortens their lifespan; but you don't see similar heart warnings on caffeine, liver warnings on alcohol or even nose warnings on cocaine.

it's likely more to deter those who have not yet been addicted.

People should know what poisons they are pouring into their body, and what the effects are. But saying that, I don't know one smoker who actually cares.

May I ask, why do you smoke, it makes you and your breath smell of crap, and knocks down your life expectancy.

Honestly... Don't care. It's pretty much a "works either ways" situation.

You have all the right to kill yourself, but honestly I find it hard to sympathize with smokers when anything bad happens to them (even if it's something unrelated like having a piano fall on them and kill them), because 99% of all smokers I've ever seen are cocks and generally don't care where their smoke goes, namely other people's face.

Will this help anyone? No, not really... To me drugs are a more drawn out version of natural selection, if you do them, you deserve what you get. It's not like we're back in the 60's when most people had no idea drugs could kill them. Honestly don't see the need for these. Much rather use the "shock" method in issues that can do any good: Anti-war, pro-abortion... etc.

I smoke. Marlboro Reds and have done since I was 15. I know about the dangers of smoking and all that jazz, but I do take a hiatus from cigs every now and then. Smoking is a stress related thing with me.

That's just ridiculous though. To be honest I don't think many smokers will pay attention to it because of the dependancy on cigs, but maybe minors will.

This is absolutley terrible. I really believe there is a war on smokers. First, we can't smoke at bars, or any public buildings. They raise the taxes, here in MA in the states anyways, so now it's 7 bucks for a pack. And the vast majority of smokers are lower and middle class I would think, so why the punishment to these already economically strained people?

These images won't curb smoking, unless it's an 8 year old buying a pack, and getting scared at the picture, which is highly unlikely. No rational adult can feign reason and say they don't know what smoking does. This isn't a deterrent, it's just appeasement from anti-smokers to stick another nail in our cancer-coffin.

I smoke, but I'm also against shockvertisements. They never work, and all they are is fearmongering.

The government doesn't regulate the sale of cocaine, you moron. >_>

Cosmic_Bard:
The government doesn't regulate the sale of cocaine, you moron. >_>

okay, i read this again and i have to say...

what?

I think it's great, I've been addicted for over 15 years and I'm slowly coming to a true realization... QUIT OR DIE. I only wish they would of had things like this when I was 13. It may be too late for me... but my nephew might have to make the same peir pressure desission I made, hopefully this type of thing will help him make the RIGHT decision.... honestly smoking should be eligal.... weed should be legal.

Honestly... If they want to do this, then they need to provide images of mortally obese people on every McDonald's wrapper, etc.

I've never smoked and I don't plan on it, but I definetly think that's too far for them to go. If I was a smoker I would be offended, I'm offended now, just not personally. Especially since smoking isn't even such a bad thing to deserve such...violent opposition. I guess. I mean, it's not like they're trying to get heroin addicts to quit.

And I think that all 'shock advertising' like that is unintelligent and offensive. If you're going to fight against something, do it inteligently. Use words and inform people about it. Trying to scare people away from it with scary pictures is not productive or appropriate.

oh, and you guys ragging on smokers:

Addiction is your brain telling you that you'll die without a substance. Nicotine is in the top 3 of addictive external substances. Some of us were 13 when we started and not informed enough by those around us to make a logical choice, in my case even lead to beleive it was the RIGHT choice (like you buying a shitty game). Before you rag on someone for smoking you should realise it's like you being ragged on for trying to stay aflote in a pool. Research has shown your brain doesn't know the difference between death and quiting smoking. On the same token I agree... anyone who blows smoke in your face or smokes around their kids is a basturd.

Didn't they do this once before, then stop really quickly? Presumably people will ignore it like they ignore the written warnings, and sales of cigarette cases will recieve a nice boost. And hey, at least when we develop grotesque lumps it won't be such a shock.

Why stop there though - you could print pictures of fat people and bypass surgery on packets of sweets. And pictures of idiots on lottery tickets and copies of the Bible. In fact, every purchase you make could be handily tagged with an image of your predicted fate as given to you by that product's demographic - peanuts with small children choking to death, plastic bags with blue babies, it could be a laugh a minute. I'm oddly keen on the idea now I've thought about it.

Psychedeliasmith:
Didn't they do this once before, then stop really quickly? Presumably people will ignore it like they ignore the written warnings, and sales of cigarette cases will recieve a nice boost. And hey, at least when we develop grotesque lumps it won't be such a shock.

Why stop there though - you could print pictures of fat people and bypass surgery on packets of sweets. And pictures of idiots on lottery tickets and copies of the Bible. In fact, every purchase you make could be handily tagged with an image of your predicted fate as given to you by that product's demographic - peanuts with small children choking to death, plastic bags with blue babies, it could be a laugh a minute. I'm oddly keen on the idea now I've thought about it.

Your comparing food to a product you don't need to survive, has killed more people than than anything else besides violence, and many (like me) want to stop doing for years but haven't? You realise why the tobaco companies don't have smoking chairmen.... they KNOW what it does and are willing to kill you for their own selfish needs. I'm not ragging on you.... like I said I've smoked 15years, but the sooner you face the truth the more likely yoyu are to live. Kudos to the government for finally doing something good for the masses at the expense of the rich Aholes.

It looks like he's got a big chunk of hamburger meat stuck to his neck -_- hardly shocking, but, that could just be me. I don't particularly care though, I don't smoke. And I fully support putting fat people on sweet packets!
Might even be a positive thing, how many fat people are there in advertising? It's discrimination!

But...shock ads, while stupid, usually are against only harmful things. But, even saying that, I once saw this French PSA about safe sex. My god, the whole thing was about the life of a gay boy, and all the 'horrors' that entails. It's awful stuff, I won't link it, just type in French PSA video in on Youtube.

sirdanrhodes:

May I ask, why do you smoke, it makes you and your breath smell of crap, and knocks down your life expectancy.

Sure. It started when I was at University at 22 and I was routinely stressed out of my mind but with nothing to do. Someone offered me a cigar and I took a drag. Which lead to cigarettes to get the buzz, which stockpiled to 40 a day at exam times, which I've dragged back down to about 10 Marlboro Reds a day.

The main reason I smoke now is that it's partly habitual, and nicotine does this weird thing to your body. It sets your body up so that when the nicotine is dissapating (after about 3 hours) you will start to get the shakes, headaches, irritabiliy etc. This can last for up to 2 weeks. And if I stopped now, my body wouldn't be clear of nicotine for another 10 years.

And I'd still want one at times of high stress for the rest of my life.

The smell is negated by the cigarette smoke in your mucous membranes so that whilst smoking it becomes harder and harder to smell the smoke; which from my time as a non-smoker I know smells of ash and death.

As for lowered life expectancy, I haven't yet seen a study that stacks it higher than driving a car, drinking heavily or being overweight. (none of which apply to me)

I know it's poisoning me slowly, but then so's my cooking and my hectic lifestyle. :)

I'm 100% certain that any regular smoker knows all of these risks, but we're bombarded with "U R KILLIN' US ALL" every day...and that drives up the stress...which makes us smoke.

I don't know if any non-smoker can really understand the addiction but let's try and put it into perspective.

Let's say every day someone on the Escapist put up a thread saying how your favourite game is the worst game ever; and you're not allowed to respond or report them. Could you last two weeks?

We get that every 3 or 4 hours.

Cosmic_Bard:
The government doesn't regulate the sale of cocaine, you moron. >_>

I'm assuming that's a little crack (^-^) at me, so I'll respond.
Nope, but there are anti-cocaine adverts that are less graphic than these. The FRANK ones are actually the most informative campaign I've seen for a long time.

They do however give out Methadone, Viagra, Xanax, Beta-Blockers, Morpine and a number of other drugs that have far worse effects than Nicotine free and with just a Boots Chemist warning.

Caliostro:

You have all the right to kill yourself, but honestly I find it hard to sympathize with smokers when anything bad happens to them (even if it's something unrelated like having a piano fall on them and kill them), because 99% of all smokers I've ever seen are cocks and generally don't care where their smoke goes, namely other people's face.

That's interesting because 99% of the smokers I know go out of their way not to let non-smokers breathe their smoke, even before the smoking ban. I will always ask someone where they wouldn't mind me smoking and where I should put the butt after use.

Though I did know a friend who asked someone "Do you mind not eating whilst I'm smoking?" for a laugh. :)

Yeah smoking sucks, so I smoke Djarums. They taste, and make you smell, of CINNIMON! I win.
Quitting smoke is on par with cutting off one of your arms, for a while.

My opinions are pretty much stated 100% by the smoking episode of South Park. I'm only a "smoke when you drink" type of guy, but this type of advertising, along with the "Truth" campaign nonsense, is just making the public view smoking as evil, and so are the people who smoke, as shown by Caliostro's post.

We ae not evil, if you don't like being around smoke, move to the non-smoking section or let us be. Many of us live very stressful lives and need a break from it all (still can't fucking believe you fuckin kicked us outta bars).

Landslide:
Honestly... If they want to do this, then they need to provide images of mortally obese people on every McDonald's wrapper, etc.

Yes! And if they're going to pick on one drug that the gov. still makes a little money on, they should also give the same treatment to the OTHER drug the government has got our nation hooked on, alcohol - for example:

Rotten pictures of the body parts that booze kill (inc. brain cells)
Drink driving car accidents
Abused/beaten women and children.
Acting like a complete prick in bars and starting fights

How many more CCTV clips do I have to watch of a group of drunken twats stomping on some poor bastards head in the street? That should be a picture on beer crates too!

I know the dangers, we all do. We've got these photos because we didn't bow to the fascist regime when they banned smoking from public and went all out to make every single smoker look like some piece of criminal filth. I remember stood outside work having a cig break about 6 months ago and a little old lady asked me for a lighter and complained to me how people look at HER like a criminal when there's all these "Young 'uns going round getting drunk, fighting and stabbing folk". She's got a good bloody point.

Tell you something interesting though. At the same time as the UK smoking ban, certain gov. members gave the thumbs up for "super casinos" to be built in cities across the country. A lot of politicians will visit these places and be allowed to smoke legally in the VIP areas JUST like they're allowed to smoke in the House of Commons (and lords I think), what a fucking hypocritical surprise!

EDIT: All the ignorant people that think all smokers are in fact evil nasty people because they smell and don't care for themselves or anyone else should go find something solid to run into head first. Either that or wear a t-shirt saying "Acting like you know everything when you know f-all, kills" and have a photo of a "non-perfect" person strangling you with the umbilical cord you obviously never got cut.

i think 'shock' tactics can be useful, but i don't really like them... things like "smoking can be hazardous to you and others around you" sort of warnings on tabbaco packets (tis now deh law in England! :P) are fine...
but TV adverts and such that really give people a fright... i do admit, they really do work, and it isn't the governments job to make people comfortable about safety, its their job to make people AWARE abotu safety... but i don't think its fair for people who are careful about such things...

TBF, the Government have also started showing TV adverts based on "You wouldn't start your night like this, so don't end it like this." for alcohol, but it's based on 'Drinking Responsibly'.

And in a lovely piece of hypocrisy, one of the few places you can still get drunk and smoke is....The House of Commons bar.

Know what always makes me want to have a ciggie? Those damn anti-smoking adverts; especially when I'm cold turkey.

(And yes, at times I have used envelopes and dog-ends when the addiction hit rock bottom)

So are they also going to put pictures like this on bottles of wine & cans of beer?

Or how about images like this on bags of sugar & sweets?

Lots of people lose feet from diabetes so they obviously aren't getting the message that sugar is bad for them.

I know my points are a bit extreme, but so are the shock tactics the government uses. I think it does make a mockery of age certificates, it's like saying that fictional gore is wrong for kids but real life gore is ok.

Are they going to start showing Faces of Death & Ogrish videos at schools to teach children about the horrors or war? If there's a continual rise in teenage knife attacks will the government start showing children that video of the Russian soldier in Afghanistan getting his throat cut out?

I think sensationalism of diseases is a bad thing, it's not that people don't know tobacco is bad for you, it's the fact that you can buy it practically every shop, newsagent, supermarket etc which is the real problem.

On a lighter note, does anyone else see the resemblance to Yahtzee (minus the tumour) in that government shock photo?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF0Sd-hjTp8

the bit where he goes on the health warnings on packets sums up my thoughts on it.

Landslide:
Honestly... If they want to do this, then they need to provide images of mortally obese people on every McDonald's wrapper, etc.

QFT, QED.

The_root_of_all_evil:
which I've dragged back down to about 10 Marlboro Reds a day.

I'm 100% certain that any regular smoker knows all of these risks, but we're bombarded with "U R KILLIN' US ALL" every day...and that drives up the stress...which makes us smoke.

Another fellow Reds smoker.

Passive smoking in my opinion is just plain stupid. I mean I'm pretty considerate when it comes to smoking around people who dislike it, but then you get these idiots that go sit outside in smoking areas and complain about it. Seriously we get chucked outside then on a nice day when non-smokers are outside they whinge. Personally I think they'd need to take great big bloody lung bucketfulls to even get a bit hoarse.

i plan to quit soon

ive been nicotine free for 2 years but i came back to smoking 3 months ago

and the guy doesnt shock me very much. things like this rarely happen and he just looks like he had some raw meat glued to his neck. i find that lungs photo in the gallery much more disturbing because i dont know if mine look like that.

I personally had a fondness for "Death Cigarettes" which stated on the packet that using them in the manner it was intended for WOULD kill you. (And had a nifty black and silver skull package) but it would donate 5% of the profits to finding a cure for cancer.

Unfortunately our dear Government banned their import and the company folded.

The real problem is that standing beside a main road for an hour or cooking on a charcoal barbeque will do almost exactly the same level of lung damage as twenty Marlboro red.

God damn that pisses me off, I have never smoked, and do not plan on smoking, but this is just stupid as hell. My dad has smoked the entire time I have been around on this earth and he goes out of his way to make sure other people don't have to inhale his smoke..Honestly the smell doesn't bother me.....but I am sick of activists trying to impose their will on everyone. For further information please watch the "Butt Out" episode of South Park.