Plain packaging (everything olive green and dominated by warnings) seems to be the main thing coming in, and there’s example in this article of what cigarette packets will look like. I assume that Pipe tobacco will be similarly affected, but don’t know how snuff will be addressed. Some changes to vape liquids as well. Rather than me paraphrase and risk getting something out of content, I’ll just link to the latest from the BBC here… http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36333450
Until now your public health officials have been incredibly lax–reckless even–in allowing sales of cigarettes in packages of ten. I’m sure the rate of smoking-related illness will plummet when the consumer has to purchase cigarettes in packages of twenty. Lowering the concentration of active ingredient in vape liquids will ensure that that those who choose to vape will need to inhale much more. I mean no offense to our UK friends, but it’s good to know America hasn’t cornered the market on stupidity.
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Hmm… wonder how this will affect snuff tin art… I mean I don’t really want to see a diseased lung on my Toque or WoS tins, not to mention it makes no sense.
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@TerrapinFlyer The increased quantity rule applies to rolling tobacco too. “Make people buy more of everything” is certainly an interesting harm reduction strategy, as is the ammo box colouring. No doubt those who are repulsed by the new packaging will just buy a smart case/pouch to transfer them into :-?? @Pompeius and pipe tobacco too I suppose, though I haven’t seen the full breakdown of all the rules. I think the people to be most frustrated by these measures will be retailers. There’s enough clueless shopkeepers in the world who can’t see what you’re asking for unless you point it out to them “no, no, red box, third row, left a bit, yes that one please”. Can you imagine how much more clueless they’re going to be when they all look the same and they have to read every packet.
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My American snuff tins have been telling me for years that snuff will make my teeth fall out, and I don’t mean just scotches and sweets. Pipe tobaccos I’ve gotten from Ireland have tumor pictures AND a hypodermic needle and syringe on the pouches. I don’t know if that means that tobacco is addictive, it leads to IV drug abuse, or makes one diabetic.
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@50ft_trad Maybe the shopkeepers are part of the conspiracy =))
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@50ft_trad I can see it now: third from the left, olive colored. No, up one row. No, the other olive colored one. Do you have them “light?” Oh, the olive one is fine, then.
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@TerrapinFlyer I can foresee plenty of “you’ve given me the wrong one” arguements, followed by “well I can’t take them back cos you’ve opened them now”. Maybe there’s potential to appeal on the grounds of discrimination for dyslexic shopkeepers… As to product warnings, I do know a bloke who wanted to exchange his “causes impotence” packet for a “harms your unborn baby” packet, because that one wouldn’t affect him. @Pompeius In all seriousness, I can genuinely see my local shopkeepers getting highly frustrated about this. They used to get mad I the rep from the tobacco company reorganised a shelf, or if one of the product packaging changed slightly. This is going to totally do their melon in.
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Flavourings in tobacco are also being banned. This is not likely to affect snuff, as shisha tobacco is also exempt. I am unsure at this stage how it will affect aromatic pipe tobaccos though. Apparantly shisha will be exempt because not enough people buy it. It (shisha - as ALL tobacco products) will however be subject to the same packaging restrictions, and somehow the packaging is not allowed to mention anything about flavours, taste, or additives - so … you are allowed to buy it … but you aren’t allowed to know which flavour you’re buying? http://metro.co.uk/2016/05/19/shisha-will-be-affected-by-new-smoking-laws-heres-how-5892601/
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Thanks for that @Roderick glad you popped in with some clear perspective for us. So is snuff totally exempt from all these packaging changes? Will we get the same product labels we get now? That “only addictive when smoked” is something I’d not heard before. I don’t have a television, so I don’t actually get to see the BBC broadcasts
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Cheers @Roderick much appreciated Nice to know there’s at least a spoonful of common sense in all this
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The European laws regarding tobacco are pretty relaxed when you compare with what the Indian govt has done to the tobacco business. With effect from 1st april all smoking as well as smokeless tobacco products must carry a gory pictorial warning on 85% of the principal display area on both sides of the packet/tin .
There is just no place to display the company logo if you consider that we are required to mention the manufacturer details ,the list of ingredients,packing date,customer care number etc etc.
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There is a little change in the new EU laws for snuff as we are now required to print the health warnings on the outer box as well. .Please correct me if I’m wrong.
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It’s good to hear that snuff won’t get embroiled in all this nonsense. It would be crazy if flavoured / scented tobaccos weren’t allowed to tell you which variety they were. Can you imagine the farce of everything having a numbering system, or someone calling the different varieties Brian and Trevor and Harold, and then having to download the secret code sheet that told you what they actually were =)) I wonder if pipe tobaccos will be exempt on the “nobody buys enough” principle too. And chewing tobacco too for that reason. For the benefit of those who aren’t from the UK, there was a law introduced a few years ago which basically said you can’t have tobacco products on display. This means that all the cigarettes for sale in your local shop or supermarket are all housed behind self closing cabinets. So at the point of sale, the only time the product is visible is when the attendant opens the cabinet to get out what you’ve already asked for. The fact that when they open the cabinet everything will be olive green, won’t make a toss of difference to the person buying as they’ve already decided and asked for the products. After the point of sale, everyone will have the same coloured packets EXCEPT the duty dodgers who buy their smokes off the guy from the local pub who buggers off over to the continent mainland in a transit van once a fortnight. Will it help reduce smoking popularity? No, it won’t make the slightest difference whatsoever. It will however make it easier to spot which pubs all have smokers who’s cigs aren’t in the British packs, so they can pounce on the tobacco runners. 8-|
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@sixphoto that is an insane amount on information to have to put on such small packaging
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Australia has had the plain packs well olive green for a few years now cigars also so no fancy cigar bands
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Has it made any significant differences?
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Yeah, there’s a myriad of cigarette cases and sheaths for packets out there on the market too. How they think that green packs, no menthol, and no 10 packs will dissuade smokers is beyond me. Nice to know our taxes are going to such worthwhile causes, eh?
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In the UK we have a quaint perk for Members of Parliament.
It is the availability of free snuff for MP s , from a rather large, wooden snuff box. Guarded by the Head Doorman and offered to MPs.
Apparently smoking was banned in the house a long time ago but snuff taking was allowed.
Will this historic snuff box have to be painted green and have a picture of some diseased organ stuck onto it?
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Green tobacco cartons introduced now but what about the other dangerous, addictive consumables in the future.
Will the wine producers of Europe sit back and let their bottles of Champagnes and wines be dulled down
with green, bland labels and a full colour photograph of rotten livers and kidneys on the labels ?
I cant see luxury boxes of chocolates selling very well with health warnings saying “Chocolate makes you fat and ugly” and a photo of a fat lass stuffing her face with coffee creams going down well .
Butter, fish and chip shops, biscuits, cake, coffee, ice creams, sweets, beer, wine, spirits, you name it, if it has a dodgy ingredient that causes high cholesterol, contains alcohol or sugars its heading for green packaging and health warnings.
The country really is going green.
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