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Nic Name · 01-13-2002, 02:07 PM

As long as smoking is a matter of free choice, more government initiatives should be directed to prevent non smokers, particularly children, from making this distructive life decision.

I think these graphic Canadian cigarette package warnings are aimed at the non-smoking public, and they are a good strategy, even if smokers deride them as having no effect on their informed choice to continue smoking.

These warnings are necessary to combat the Tobacco industry's next generation of deceit focused on new "safer" brands. These advertised "safer" brands will have the same graphic warnings.

But, unless they are grossly graphic, Surgeon General's Warnings have little impact on young people, who feel immortal. We have to speak to them in terms they understand. They hate being ripped by government. They abhor being conned by big business. They want to consider themselves smarter than older generations.

Sycamore brings up a very good point. MONEY. The cost of a pack is, of course, largely tax, which ties our governments to the tobacco industry, as well. Government is addicted to tobacco taxes. Politicians are addicted to tobacco industry campaign donations. Smoking is a hidden tax, mostly levied on the poorest of our economy. But it is a voluntary tax, it is argued. So, we have to make our children aware of this hidden tax. Like us, they don't like getting ripped by the government, conned by big business, and duped by politicians supporting big tobacco.

Big money motivates my kids. They were stunned when I walked them through a financial analysis of the monetary cost of smoking a pack a day. It's staggering! I ran the numbers through a tax deferred retirement savings plan and showed the difference at age 65 between one person who smoked a pack a day from age 20, and another who saved the cost of a pack a day and contributed the savings annually into the retirement plan. The latter lives a healthier lifestyle and retires a millionaire at age 65; the other lives a life of poor health and may not be around to retire at 65, but he was short all that cash. I said to my kids, "If Bill Gates would make you a bet, that your couldn't stay off cigarettes 'til age 65, but if you did he'd give you a million dollars then, could you avoid the temptation to smoke?" "Definately!' they said. My parents never taught me about this. I learned from my mistakes.

P.S. That's a millionaire in Canadian Dollars, for those that want to argue my math.

01-13-2002, 02:07 PM	#19
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	As long as smoking is a matter of free choice, more government initiatives should be directed to prevent non smokers, particularly children, from making this distructive life decision. I think these graphic Canadian cigarette package warnings are aimed at the non-smoking public, and they are a good strategy, even if smokers deride them as having no effect on their informed choice to continue smoking. These warnings are necessary to combat the Tobacco industry's next generation of deceit focused on new "safer" brands. These advertised "safer" brands will have the same graphic warnings. But, unless they are grossly graphic, Surgeon General's Warnings have little impact on young people, who feel immortal. We have to speak to them in terms they understand. They hate being ripped by government. They abhor being conned by big business. They want to consider themselves smarter than older generations. Sycamore brings up a very good point. MONEY. The cost of a pack is, of course, largely tax, which ties our governments to the tobacco industry, as well. Government is addicted to tobacco taxes. Politicians are addicted to tobacco industry campaign donations. Smoking is a hidden tax, mostly levied on the poorest of our economy. But it is a voluntary tax, it is argued. So, we have to make our children aware of this hidden tax. Like us, they don't like getting ripped by the government, conned by big business, and duped by politicians supporting big tobacco. Big money motivates my kids. They were stunned when I walked them through a financial analysis of the monetary cost of smoking a pack a day. It's staggering! I ran the numbers through a tax deferred retirement savings plan and showed the difference at age 65 between one person who smoked a pack a day from age 20, and another who saved the cost of a pack a day and contributed the savings annually into the retirement plan. The latter lives a healthier lifestyle and retires a millionaire at age 65; the other lives a life of poor health and may not be around to retire at 65, but he was short all that cash. I said to my kids, "If Bill Gates would make you a bet, that your couldn't stay off cigarettes 'til age 65, but if you did he'd give you a million dollars then, could you avoid the temptation to smoke?" "Definately!' they said. My parents never taught me about this. I learned from my mistakes. P.S. That's a millionaire in Canadian Dollars, for those that want to argue my math. Last edited by Nic Name; 01-13-2002 at 02:16 PM.