Tobacco warnings

[dmkerr]

I've been fortunate enough to acquire several tins/pouches of European tobacco lately and I have to chuckle at the health warnings that take up half the space on the front of the tin. At some point, this will likely occur in the U.S as well but as we tend to go overboard on these things, I predict our warnings will be something like this:

"Use of this product will kill you. Stop smoking NOW or risk not only further government regulations and taxes, but also death to yourself, those around you, all your friends and family and everyone that gets within 100 miles of you, you slimey scumbag smoking second class citizen!"

Hyperbole? Perhaps a bit but probably just the alliteration at the very end....

[Zeabed]

Originally Posted by dmkerr

I've been fortunate enough to acquire several tins/pouches of European tobacco lately and I have to chuckle at the health warnings that take up half the space on the front of the tin. At some point, this will likely occur in the U.S as well but as we tend to go overboard on these things, I predict our warnings will be something like this:

"Use of this product will kill you. Stop smoking NOW or risk not only further government regulations and taxes, but also death to yourself, those around you, all your friends and family and everyone that gets within 100 miles of you, you slimey scumbag smoking second class citizen!"

Hyperbole? Perhaps a bit but probably just the alliteration at the very end....

Shorter version: "Use of this product will kill you. If it doesn't, we wiill; as we intend to hound smokers all the way to the grave. That will not preclude our right to look for additional scapegoats."

[MarkC]

What? Smoking isn't healthy? My god, I had no idea...

[lunchbox]

well depends on what you're smoking... but yeah not trying to rip on oh so tasty tobacco but there arent nearly as many halth risks...

and it tastes good too

[MarkC]

Well, I agree with you except for um....what was I saying?

[cavanor]

You should see Australia. Tinned pipe tobacco gets off easy with written warnings, all other tobacco (cigarettes, cigar etc) have graphic images.

Just google 'tobacco warnings australia for an example.

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by cavanor

You should see Australia. Tinned pipe tobacco gets off easy with written warnings, all other tobacco (cigarettes, cigar etc) have graphic images.

Just google 'tobacco warnings australia for an example.

Those are hilarious! I especially like the teeth one. Naaaaaasty!!! And I didn't know it caused blindness - I thought only masturbation did that.

They could have one for cigars with a pic of George Burns on it that says "smoking causes horrible deaths from old age". Anyway, can a total ban on tobacco be that far off????

[Hot Stuff x]

Originally Posted by cavanor

You should see Australia. Tinned pipe tobacco gets off easy with written warnings, all other tobacco (cigarettes, cigar etc) have graphic images.

Just google 'tobacco warnings australia for an example.

No kidding, I got a box of Habanos from Australia recently and the picture on the box was pretty damn scary! Had a photo of a child on life support with lesions all over her body. Ugh.

[mannyCA]

Good topic, but has anyone here ever personally know of someone getting mouth/throat/lung cancer and either had major surgery and/or dying? I have only known 2 people to die of emphysema but they were in their seventies and heavy lifetime cigarette smokers. Or should this be its own thread? Any comments?
manny

[tlempke]

That one sure would make me want to put the pack down.

[viking12344]

My old man died of Lung cancer in 1985 at 51. He smoked menthols for 40 years but he also did autobody repair work and painting so you can't really blame the cigarettes completely. He quit the cigarettes about a year before he died, before he was diagnosed. He smoked a pipe up until he was diagnosed and I always wondered about it.

Being 40 now I tend to think he knew something was wrong and that was why he switched. My guess is possibily coughing up some blood or being short on breath. Whatever is was, it scared him enough to quit cold turkey. The doctors said he had cancer for 5-6 years and did not know it until symptoms surfaced and then of course, its too late. I really dont know how true that is.

[MarkC]

My grandmother died from emphysema, directly attributed to her cigarette smoking. My mother died of cancer, but it was leukemia at age 33; I don't think it was cigarettes that did that.

Rick, as far as shortness of breath, I quit cigs about ten years ago, and I didn't even realize the shortness of breath was a problem until my lungs recovered. Now, I realize that choosing to smoke a pipe doesn't make a lot of sense health-wise; it's something I chose to do because I feel the pluses outweigh the minuses. But I can't see going back to sucking cigs into my lungs again.

[dmkerr]

My grandfather died at age 82 but had been a 3 pack a day menthol smoker for close to 60 years. My father has smoked a pipe for about the same 60 years, about 5-10 bowls a day. No health problems that can be attributed to it.

I've never heard of anyone getting lip or mouth cancer from smoking, so I can't say if those who have such maladies actually got it from smoking or something else, or a combo.

[SmokinJohnny]

I think the advertised health risks of smoking are a bit overrated. Whenever a smoker dies, fingers are too quick to point at smoking.

[cavanor]

I to think they have gone over the top here in Australia. The statistically major instances of disease caused by cigarette smoking are going to be Lung Cancer and Heart Disease, I have never known anyone with mouth cancer as bad as the photos on the packets or gangrene from smoking (generally other lifestyle factors would come in to play here).