The government is not breaking new ground with its proposal for plain packaging of cigarettes, writes Ian Hanke, of Agitate.com.au
Cigarettes
Smokers already being ripped off — plain packaging is just insulting
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.
Blowing out Rudd’s approval
For the first time, party vote breakdowns on smokers and non-smokers are available, helping explain the latest decline in the Labor vote: smokers are ALP voters. Possum Comitatus has the figures.
‘Cancer man’: cigarette companies don’t deserve sympathy
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.
The true truth about truth in advertising
You may need to have a Sausageologist perform a chopectomy on you
Jack Marx: It’s my body and I’ll kill it with cigarettes if I want to
Jack Marx pens an open letter to the The Heart Foundation: hands off my smokes!
Drugs vs. booze
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.
Tax on cigs trumps gene lottery
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.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Economists on the economy?
Crikey readers weigh in on where economists know anything about the economy, John Della Bosca jokes and the joys of ABC’s Respectember.
Taxing fags an unhealthy obsession
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.
Memo to Dutton: increasing tobacco tax works
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: gross but green
Tobacco candy: it sounds disgusting (and probably is) but it’s a lot better for the environment than cigarettes.
Electronic cigarettes: are they still doing you damage?
Electronic cigarettes are attracting attention in China, the US and elsewhere — and the scrutiny of world health officials.
