The maker of Marlboro cigarettes has been accused of trying to sidestep new UK laws on plain packaging by rolling out durable tins that look just like ordinary cigarette packets.
Philip Morris, one of the world’s largest tobacco companies, came under fire from MPs and anti-smoking campaigners on the eve of the biggest change in tobacco regulation since the smoking ban.
From Saturday, retailers will no longer be able to sell branded cigarette packets, as a 12-month grace period to allow tobacco firms to phase out old cartons comes to an end.
Instead, retailers will only stock plain packets featuring graphic pictures designed to deter smokers. They will also no longer be allowed to stock packets of 10 cigarettes or smaller sizes of rolling tobacco, as part of a package of measures designed to limit the appeal of smoking.
In the run-up to the change, Philip Morris has distributed tin containers, the same size as a 10-pack of cigarettes, to convenience stores around the country. The tins, which were available at chains including Sainsbury’s, Londis and Budgens, are printed with Marlboro branding, and feature deterrent pictures and the message “Smoking kills”.
It’s always, but always, second and third order effects which trip these people up, isn’t it?
More arrogant bullshit from the party supposed to be concerned with freedom and individual rights.
Once the Eurotrash are down the next battle will be domestic and we need to be ready for it.
Dress Up is already going to use Brexit to boost authoritarianism in this country. Can’t be avoided in the short term but our resolve must be to let the scum of the state ultimately get away with nothing.
They should also ban branded clothing, especially handbags, as being bad for your financial health.
Ban branded football shirts too. Wearing them in different colours with different numbers on the back is clearly discriminatory.
Golly, this calls to mind the tins of coffin nails that I sometimes saw as a small object. Tins of fifty I think. Can that be right or is it my imagination?
dearieme, your memory’s OK. I used to buy them as Christmas presents (from my paper round earnings, so they must have been cheap).
No problem. There’s been perfectly fit-for-purpose tins widely available for years. They generally have a cannabis leaf printed on the lid
‘retailers will only stock plain packets featuring graphic pictures designed to deter smokers.’
Government gone bad. Ban ’em, or leave them alone.
Actually, they have no right to ban them. So just leave them alone. Smoking is what people do, and have been doing for hundreds of years.
The other day I saw two people outside chatting, and a tobacco tin next to them on a wall. I knew it was a tobacco tin because on the side in big black letters was the legend ‘Smoking kills’.
The two were smoking and using the tin as an ashtray.
Who in their right minds thinks that forcing addicts to buy more product than they actually crave is a good thing?