17 Results

Crikey readers weigh in on the big issues of the day.

Crikey readers have their say.

The government is not breaking new ground with its proposal for plain packaging of cigarettes, writes Ian Hanke, of Agitate.com.au

Australia’s four million-odd smokers had already been paying an extra $5.5 billion a year in tax to smoke, or about $1250 each. Plain packaging is just insulting, says economist and researcher Adam Creighton.

Tobacco companies are well aware of the addictive and dangerous nature of their products. I know, I used to work at one and we’d send free ciggies out to influential decision makers, writes David Donovan.

Jack Marx pens an open letter to the The Heart Foundation: hands off my smokes!

Debate is heating up in the UK after the government’s former chief drugs adviser, Dr David Nutt, was sacked over his views that cannabis is less harmful than cigarettes and alcohol. Now the scientific community is coming to his defence.

It is more sensible to reduce cigarette smoking by high taxation on tobacco products than to spend resources on identifying those at increased genetic risk, writes Wayne Hall.

Crikey readers weigh in on where economists know anything about the economy, John Della Bosca jokes and the joys of ABC’s Respectember.

Is more taxation the solution to Australia’s “health crisis” — if there even is a health crisis? asks Sinclair Davidson. The medical profession may get more money, but there’s no reason to believe it will solve the smoking or alcohol crisis.

Oh it’s still a real cigarette, it just has less tar. It’s all very Mad Men to have to make a smoking habit look as innocent and breezy as flower arranging, but this 90s infomercial gives it a good shot.

Peter Dutton, Opposition spokesman on health, argues that increasing tobacco taxes is just a money grab and has “nothing to do with health outcomes”. The evidence suggests otherwise.

Tobacco candy: it sounds disgusting (and probably is) but it’s a lot better for the environment than cigarettes.