Appropriate responses to new anti smoking pictures

As someone who gave up smoking nearly 25 years ago I find the way the health industry and this Government attack smokers as absolutely appalling, and the ban on smoking in pubs was particularly nasty. I also think smokers are pretty stupid, but that's their choice.

I don't mind the government paying for research and telling us what is and isn't healthy, but that's where it should end. This latest round of hectoring is both insulting to smokers and none smokers and a complete waste of money.

The UK will next week become the first European country to introduce graphic images on cigarette packets to warn about the dangers of smoking.

The 15 different images will include pictures of a diseased lung and heart surgery being performed.

Its not as if these ever more garish tricks work, indeed I'll bet they make some smokers determined to continue out of spite. If they did work articles like this on the BBC would be littered with references to studies which showed success and we would be blinded by statistics. But all we get is a wishy-washy comment:

Canada became the first nation to use images in 2001 with surveys one year on showing a third of quitters had been motivated by the images.

Get that, they started this in 2001 in Canada and 12 months later 1/3 of quitters were "motivated" by the pictures. No reference to how many would have quit anyway and no mention of any follow up studies. That's 6 years of doing this and not one single number to show that it works, forgive my cynicism but I'll bet that not one study showed any benefit.

So I was heartened to see these responses from 2 bloggers who smoke.

From Raedwald we get a link to these wonderful cigarette box covers:
My addition would be "Smoking pisses off health fascists".

The other good post comes from the always entertaining Leg-Iron:

We know the risks. The mountain climber knows the risks. The paraglider knows the risks. Those who ride experimental jet packs know the risks. The guy who walks to the North Pole knows the risks. The folk who sail single-handed around the world know the risks.

We do it because we like it and are prepared to take the risk. Okay? It's our lives and we'll decide how to end them, not some Righteous Baroness and not some arrogant sod who thinks he/she/it knows best. Now go out there and get a real job.Go and read it all, its very good.

Anyway, to any smoker passing through you have my support in any action you may wish to take against the health fascists. I'm sure a few spare lamp posts could be found when we've finished with the politicians.