If you have browsed the videos from this site, you have seen graphic videos that clearly and grossly illustrate what will happen to parts of your body if you do not act and quit smoking today. In this video, you will see a smoker who underwent surgery to remove his voicebox. I do not want to spoil his message but let me say that it will really help you decide to stop smoking now.
Quit Smoking - 6,154 Smokers Warned by MMDA, P500 Fine Starting July 1, 2011
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| via Flickr (acullador) |
(SPOT.ph) Nearly a month after the No-Smoking in Public Places Policy was implemented on May 30, over 6,154 smokers have been apprehended by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), reports Manila Bulletin. On July 1, when the ban is fully implemented, violators will be fined P500 or will render eight hours of community service.
The MMDA website features a tally of “smokers given warnings” and “anti-littering apprehensions.” According to the Health, Public Safety, and Environmental Protection Office, about 48,750 individuals have been caught throwing cigarette butts and candy wrappers, spitting, and urinating in public.
On their website, the MMDA has also listed places where smoking is banned, which includes public utility vehicles (PUV), transport terminals, tricycles, schools, hospitals, bars, restaurants, streets, and areas where food is being prepared. MMDA chair Francis Tolentino said that the agency will continue its campaign to educate the public on the anti-smoking drive and inform them about the associated health risks.
Quit Smoking - Harmful Effects of Smoking to Your Lungs (Video)
We hope you realize that when you quit smoking, no more cigarette can do you damage. In the video below, you can see how lungs are like sponges with millions of tiny air sacs for transferring oxygen. Every breath of tobacco smoke attacks those air sacs. If you're a smoker, you probably are suffering from shortness of breath. If you are wondering why and what that looks like inside your lungs, click and watch the video below.
Quit Smoking - Places Where You Can and You Can't Smoke
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| via Flickr (nataliesap) |
via ABSCBN News
MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has started deploying environmental enforcers to warn, and eventually apprehend, violators of the smoking ban in public places.
But what constitutes a public place?
MMDA said it will monitor smokers in public utility vehicles, loading bays, bus terminals, airport terminals, train stations and ports, and along main thoroughfares.
This means that drivers caught smoking will be apprehended and reported to the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Passengers caught smoking will also be warned and apprehended subsequently.
Environmental officers will also warn and apprehend smokers at loading bays and pedestrian lanes along intersections of main thoroughfares.
The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 is more precise as to what can be considered a public place. The following are considered public places:
- Loading bays and pedestrian lanes along intersections of main thoroughfares
- Centers of youth activity such as playschools, preparatory schools, elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities, youth hostels and recreational facilities for persons under eighteen (18) years old.
- Elevator and stairwells
- Location in which fire hazards are present, including gas stations and storage areas for flammable liquids, gas, explosives or combustible materials
- Within the buildings and premises of public and private hospitals, medical, dental and optical clinics, health centers, nursing homes, dispensaries and laboratories.
- Public conveyance and public facilities including airport and ship terminals and train and bus stations, restaurant and conference halls, except for separate smoking areas
- Food preparation areas, including areas where food or beverage is actually being manufactured or prepared.
The IRR also dictates that in enclosed places open to the population, such as public and private workplaces and other areas not stated above (such as malls) owners, proprietors, operators, possessors, managers and administrators are required to establish smoking and non-smoking areas.
The smoking area shall be in an open space or in an area with proper ventilation and far from a non-smoking area.
MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino added that different local governments, which tied up with the agency to promote a 100% smoking free Metro Manila, have separate ordinances describing “public places.”
Quit Smoking - Blindness (Video)
You should quit smoking today because every cigarette is doing you damage. Chemicals from tobacco smoke get into your blood stream and damage the delicate blood vessels inside your eyes. We now know that smoking is a major cause of irreversible blindness. Click and watch the video below and see how much your eyesight means to you.
Quit Smoking - Doctors Urge PNoy to Stop Smoking
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| via Flickr (Waldo Jaquith) |
via ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines - Participants to the Tobacco Control Summit 2011 organized by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines (FCAP) and the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP) were one in their call for President Benigno Aquino III to stop smoking and lead the Philippines into becoming a tobacco-free country.
FCAP board member Bobby del Rosario and and Dr. Rlorante Trinidad, technical officer of the
World Health Organization's (WHO) Tobacco-Free Initiative, said although Aquino may have difficulty in stopping from smoking, he should at least declare that smoking is bad for one's health and support anti-smoking policies.
FCAP also called on the President to rid Filipinos of the harmful effects of second-hand smoke by enacting laws that will prevent smoking in public.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health are alarmed over the increasing number of smokers in the Philippines.
Despite tobacco control efforts in the country, 17.3 million Filipinos now smoke, and almost 2/3 of the adults and children are exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke.
Trinidad said tobacco use is rising in the country, as shown by the number of Filipinos aged 13-15 years old who are currently smoking, which increased to 22.7% from only 15.9% in 2003.
He said the trend is also noticeable among young girls.
Tobacco kills 87,600 Filipinos per year, and 240 deaths are recorded every day, he said.
Trinidad added that 1/3 of them are men in the most productive age of their lives.
He said the increasing number of smokers is a consistent trend in developing countries like the Philippines, whose anti-smoking laws are not as strict as those in developed countries.
Quit Smoking - 6 Tips to Help You Quit Smoking
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| via Flickr (sara b.) |
Deciding to quit smoking is a very brave and tough decision, as smoking is an addiction, so like any other addiction, will take a strong person to quit without problems. Quitting smoking takes a huge amount of willpower, so any tips or aids will be welcome.
Some of the top tips to help you quit smoking are:
1. Make a definite plan of action; fix the day you will start and inform everyone around you; family, friends, work colleagues.
Let them know your plans and get their help and support. They need to be aware of what you are about to go through and to expect mood swings and irritability at times. While you have to use strong willpower to quit smoking, you will also need the support and understanding of those closest to you.
2. Fill your cupboards at home and your desk, briefcase etc with healthy snack items, like nuts, grapes, cherries, cherry tomatoes, (any bite sized fruit is great, as easy to 'pop' into your mouth as candy, but any fruit is good too) oat cakes, cereal bars, carrots and celery. Gum or candy should be sugar-free, as you want to avoid weight gain where possible and prevent rotting your teeth! Keeping snacks at hand will make it easier when cravings hit, to take something else as a substitute.
3. Find a hobby or pastime you can do to keep your hands busy. Most smokers say apart from the addiction to nicotine, they find themselves reaching for cigarettes when they have idle hands; so keep those hands busy! At the workplace nowadays no one can smoke, so there's a start to your quit smoking plan, but in your leisure time or on breaks is where the fun begins! Anything which keeps your hands busy and your mind occupied will help immensely. Try a handheld video game, a manual dexterity puzzle, sketching, doodling, knitting, crossword puzzles, or writing, are good. Best of all, keep a diary or journal; writing each day about your trials and successes will not only keep your hands and mind busy, but keeping a record will give you something to refer to for encouragement.
4. Make yourself an exercise plan; whatever your fitness and usual routine allows, from a brisk walk morning and evening, to a full workout plan at the gym. Swimming and bike riding are good too; exercise releases endorphins which keep the heart healthy, reduce stress and anxiety, while generally helping with internal harmony. Those who already have a fitness routine should increase levels considerably when trying to quit smoking.
5. Remove all smoking related items from your home, car and workplace. Not only cigarettes, but lighters, ashtrays, anything which will make you think of smoking. Surround yourself instead with bowls of nuts, seeds and fruit, as well as your hobby items; puzzles, pen & paper, journal etc. When cravings hit, (and they will, frequently) take something to chew on and pick up whatever you need to keep hands and brain occupied.
6. Last, but by no means least; keep a glass of water at hand at all times. Instead of reaching for the cigarette on the ashtray, reach for the water glass and take sips. Water will not only keep you hydrated, but stave off nicotine cravings, while at the same time helping your stomach feel full, so you will be less likely to compensate with food.
These are the top tips to help you quit smoking, but there are obviously many other ideas, and especially devised plans to help you in this tough time. The best way to quit smoking is to find the right plan for you, which you will find easiest to follow and give you the best results. Good luck!
Quit Smoking - Stroke (Video)
Quit smoking today because every cigarette is doing you damage. Smoking creates blood clots which can cause stroke. Such clots kill, blind, paralyze without you even knowing about it. Check out the result of a minor stroke for a smoker by watching the video below. Yes, it's meant to be scary so you should decide to stop smoking today.
Quit Smoking - 10 Filipinos Die Every Hour Due to Smoking
By Sol Aragones, ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines - Emer Rojas, 53, uses an electronic larynx whenever he has to speak.
It's been 9 years since he was first diagnosed with stage 4 laryngeal cancer.
He started smoking when he was just 17. Now, he regrets not being able to kick the habit.
"Mahirap. You have to exert effort. Kapag maingay, 'di ka na maintindihan. 'Di na rin ako nakakatawa dahil wala ng hangin," Rojas said.
According to Dr. Encarnita Limpin of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance, Philippines (FCAP), aside from cancer, smokers are prone to strokes and heart attacks.
"Kahit isang benepisyo walang makukuha sa sigarilyo dahil may 7,000 chemicals ito na nakakasama," said Limpin.
Experts said just one pull from a cigarette is already bad for your health.
Chemicals like nicotine will immediately be taken into the system through air passages, the lungs and veins.
Sickness begins when the substances spread and circulate throughout the body.
According to records of the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization, 10 Filipinos die every hour due to smoking. That's over 80,000 Filipinos every year.
This is why the DOH is pushing that graphic images of the negative effects of smoking be placed on cigarette packs.
The agency also wants to start a campaign to urge smokers to quit the habit.
Quit Smoking - Cold Turkey!
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| via Flicke (e3000) |
Although it is not really the only way to quit, it is definitely the way that shows the best success rate. That is to say, the majority of people who have successfully quit did it by going cold turkey.
You will find people who did manage to quit using nicotine replacement therapy or NRT, but all they have really done is to prolong the process. NRTs will cut out many of the thousands of chemicals present in cigarette smoke, while still introducing nicotine to the system. So the body is going through two processes over a longer period of time. Quitting smoking cold turkey takes the nicotine and all the chemicals out of your body in a relatively short time. You may suffer some pretty uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms, but will know that this will only last for the first few weeks: Using NRTs is just like substituting one drug for another, like a heroin addict using methadone to try to kick his habit.
Those who kick smoking through the use of NRTs really should be congratulated, as they have had to go through a much longer drawn-out process, which allows the nicotine addiction to control both the method and outcome.
It is really necessary to think of the quitting process as a new beginning; the start of a healthier lifestyle, rather than the end of something or the loss of a part of your life. Think positive and look forward to your new life with whiter teeth, fresher breath and clean smelling clothes, as well as a healthier body.
Quitting smoking cold turkey will be much easier if you attack it in the right frame of mind.
Did you know that nicotine is an organic-based alkaloid of the same family as cocaine, morphine, quinine and strychnine?!
A natural insecticide once sold in the US
Wow! And you want to pay money to put this into your system!
The 'high' experienced in smoking is from dopamine, the same chemical which produces the high from alcohol or heroin.
However experts claim that heroin produces a numb dopamine high, alcohol gives a drunken dopamine high, while the alert dopamine high from nicotine is the most likely to cause dependency.
So of course you are going to experience withdrawal symptoms while quitting smoking cold turkey, but there are aids and systems to help you deal with these symptoms and guide you through the ordeal more easily.
Quitting smoking cold turkey does not have to be a major battle; if you use the right system you should be able to quit smoking today without the need for substitutes of any kind.
Quit Smoking - Artery Clogging (Video)
Every cigarette is doing you damage. Shown here is a part of the Aorta, the main artery of the heart. Check out how much sticky and fatty deposits are collected from a smoker. If this doesn't make you quit smoking, make sure to keep visiting this blog for more articles and videos to help you stop smoking today.
Quit Smoking - Smoking, Couch-Potato Lifestyles Boost Cancer Risks
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| via Flickr (Kaptain Kobold) |
From ABS-CBN News:
PARIS - Two studies released on Wednesday highlighted the risks and benefits of lifestyle choices in combatting cancer, showing the dangers of smoking for post-menopausal women and exercise's protective effect on the bowel.
Post-menopausal women who smoke, or who used to smoke, face an up to 16% higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who have never smoked, according to a paper published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
Women who have been extensively exposed to passive smoking, either as children or in adulthood, could also be at greater risk of breast cancer, it added.
However, this apparent risk does not apply to women who were only moderately exposed to second-hand smoke.
The study covered almost 80,000 US women aged between 50 and 79 who were followed for 10 years.
In a separate investigation published in the British Journal of Cancer, people with an active lifestyle were found to be up to three times less likely to develop large bowel growths, known as polyps, which are often a precursor for cancer.
The conclusion is based on an overview of 20 published studies.
"We've long known that an active lifestyle can protect against bowel cancer, but this study is the first to look at all the available evidence and show that a reduction in bowel polyps is the most likely explanation for this," said lead author Kathleen Wolin of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.
"Exercise has many benefits, including boosting the immune system, decreasing inflammation in the bowel and helping to reduce insulin levels -- all factors which we know are likely to have an effect on bowel polyp risk."
Half an hour's "moderate" exercise per day -- anything that leads to a slight shortage of breath -- and maintaining a reasonable weight are keys to reducing the risk of bowel cancer, said Cancer Research UK, which publishes the journal.
To quit smoking is definitely a wise choice. Associate more pleasure in quitting smoking and enjoying a healthy lifestyle than in smoking. Decide today!
Quit Smoking - With Herbs and Natural Aids
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| via Flickr (London Permaculture) |
It is much better to help yourself quit smoking with herbs and natural aids than with pills and patches; a lot healthier for your body.
Herbal infusions are a great help, especially the calming ones like chamomile, lavender, St Johns
Baking soda increases the pH in urine, which will slow the elimination of the nicotine already existent in the body. This may sound strange, but slowing the elimination of nicotine results in less craving.
Smoking causes an excess of free radicals in your body, which will need antioxidants to counteract. Vitamin C is a great source, so make sure you consume plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Among the best herbs and natural aids to quit smoking is licorice root, which is very useful to calm cravings. It has stress relieving properties which will calm your nerves and lessen irritability, as well as helping to break down body fat, so proving helpful in the case of compensating with food. Licorice is also a natural expectorant, helping greatly when the body needs to expel catarrh and phlegm.
Herbal oats are a remedy used by healers in India
Oatmeal or porridge would be a good breakfast, and also in place of another meal during the day. It is a fact that oatmeal can help you relax, and aids sleep; a bowl of oatmeal before bed will help with a good night's sleep. Oatcakes and oat cereal bars are good snacks for 'picking' at during the day, as are other cereal bars and all types of seeds, whole grains and nuts.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are extremely necessary when trying to quit smoking, as along with herbs and natural aids they can replace cravings and give your body the supplements it needs.
Sugarfree gum and candy may be necessary for the 'sweet tooth' while trying to quit smoking, but grapes and cherries and other 'candy' sized fruits are even better.
Nowadays most public places are smoke-free zones, so you really have no choice but to go several hours at a time without smoking, in which case you should be able to totally quit smoking with herbs and natural aids to support you.
There is no doubt you will feel a lot healthier if you avoid nicotine patches and other chemical aids. Nature’s pharmacy is best!
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Quit Smoking - Graphic Demonstration of Tar in Your Lungs Due to Smoking (Video)
Every cigarette is doing you damage. Every time you inhale, tobacco smoke condenses in your lungs to form tar. In this video, a healthy lung is compared to a lung that contains one year worth of tar that a pack-a-day smoker breathes in. If I were you, I'd quit smoking today!
Quit Smoking - Nicotine-Free 'Fake' Cigarettes May Help Smokers Quit
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| via Flickr (Julianne Corinne) |
Article from WebMD:
May 13, 2011 -- Nicotine-free plastic inhalers -- fake cigarettes that allow people to simulate smoking -- may increase some smokers’ odds of quitting smoking, a study shows.
Unlike electronic or "e-cigarettes," the nicotine-free inhalers are billed in Europe as aids for people who are trying to quit smoking that can be used in conjunction with nicotine replacement, drugs for smoking cessation, and counseling.
The study is published online in the European Respiratory Journal.
Italian researchers studied 120 smokers who were enrolled in a program to help them quit smoking. All participants were regular smokers of at least 20 cigarettes a day for at least 10 years.
All participants were also treated with a nicotine patch, bupropion (sold in the U.S. as Zyban), and counseling.
They were divided into two groups, with one set of participants receiving the plastic inhalers, and the others following the usual program.
Questionnaires were used to determine the participants’ physical and behavioral dependence on cigarettes. After 24 weeks they were asked if they had been successful in attempts to abstain from smoking.
Quit-Smoking Success Rates
There was no significant difference in the quit rates of the two groups. But people who were found to be more behaviorally dependent on cigarettes had a threefold higher success rate when using the inhaler.
People who were identified as being most heavily dependent on the behavioral pattern of smoking had a quit rate of 66.7% in the group using the plastic inhalers, compared with 19.2% in the other group.
Researchers say that the results indicate that for smokers who rely on the handling of a cigarette as a behavioral pattern, nicotine-free inhalers could increase their chance of success when trying to quit.
"By showing a clear predictive association between the measure of behavioral dependence and relapse, our study is the first to reveal that the concept of behavioral addiction can be exploited as a useful clinical tool for many smokers to quit," Riccardo Polosa, MD, PhD, a professor at the
University of Catania, says in a news release.
Polosa, who is also director of the University Institute of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology at Catania, says the research results "will open up a potentially novel area of research in smoking cessation."
Cigarette Alternative?
The inhalers used in the study, unlike e-cigarettes, consist of a fiber sponge filter plug soaked in naturally extracted herbal aroma oil and encased in a plastic cartridge container similar to a cigarette.
The FDA decided in April 2011 to oversee electronic cigarettes the same way it does tobacco products. E-cigarettes are powered by a battery and a liquid nicotine mixture derived from tobacco is converted into a vapor that can be inhaled.
But the device used in the study contains no nicotine. The device is called "Paipo," and its manufacturer claims it is safe for anyone using it.
"Smokers trying to quit have to cope not only with the pharmacologic aspect of nicotine addiction but also with the psychological components associated with tobacco dependence," the researchers. "Smoking is much more than the addicting effect of nicotine; the smoking habit is also the rituals that each smoker associates with his/her habit."
The plastic cigarettes are intended to substitute for the psychological part of addiction.
An online advertisement for Paipo bills the product as a "cigarette alternative" and says that even though people don’t light it, "it feels like the real thing."
The researchers say they received free supplies of the Paipo inhalers for the study, but do not report any other disclosures.
Now I know that there are two smoking alternatives, e-cigarettes and the inhaler types of smoking alternative. The question is, will it really make you quit smoking quick and safe?
Quit Smoking - Nicotine Addiction
"Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it a thousand times" this famous quote of Mark Twain sums up the problems a lot of people have when trying to quit...they just can't stick to it.
The problem is that smoking is an addiction like any other, as nicotine is in fact a drug. The addiction to nicotine is not the only danger, as it is in fact a poison.
Nicotine is the natural drug found in tobacco and is as addictive as cocaine or heroin. The dependency will be both physical and emotional; both needing to be dealt with when quitting smoking.
As smoke is inhaled, nicotine enters deep into the lungs, from where it is carried throughout the body via the bloodstream.
Nicotine will affect many parts of the body; blood vessels, heart, brain, metabolism and hormones. It is particularly harmful during pregnancy, as it can be present in breast milk and in cervical fluids as well as placenta, amniotic fluids and the blood in the umbilical cord which in turn feeds into the newborn child.
Inhaling cigarette smoke will send nicotine to the brain quicker than any drugs taken intravenously. Like any other drug, the body eventually develops tolerance, thereby needing larger doses to calm the craving. Quitting smoking will cause the same kind of withdrawal symptoms from the addiction to nicotine that drug addicts experience when quitting their chosen poison.
Whatever your age or the length of time you've been smoking, don't think it's too late in life for you to quit: smokers who quit around age 50 can still cut the risk of dying in the following 15 years by 50%, compared with those who continue to smoke.
Addiction to nicotine should be treated like any other drug addiction, so when quitting smoking be prepared for similar problems. Nicotine patches or chewing gum will only really delay the inevitable; you'll be avoiding many of the other chemicals found in cigarette smoke, but you are still feeding your body nicotine, so are not really making any inroads into your addiction to nicotine. Quitting smoking cold turkey is the only sure answer and will bring with it some problems, particularly in those long-term smokers.
The body will take its time to eject nicotine and other chemicals; sometimes only a couple of days but at other times several weeks. Addiction to nicotine is caused by the pleasant feelings (known as dopamine high) experienced by the smoker, which then lead to them wanting to smoke more. The nervous system begins to adapt to the nicotine intake and increases the amount of nicotine in the blood. As the body begins to get used to the amount of nicotine, it will start to demand more, hence we get into the cycle of addiction.
The poison in nicotine is enough to kill a human with just a few drops in its purest form, although to take in that much in one go by smoking you would have to smoke about 100 cigarettes all at once (together, not one after the other) Even so, that is some nasty poison to take into your system!
Quitting smoking and addiction to nicotine does not need to be terribly difficult; there are quit smoking plans and systems to help you on your way, some of which make it incredibly easy. Find the right method for you and stick with it; you are on your way to a much healthier, more enjoyable life.
Quit Smoking - Graphic Australian Anti-Smoking Ad (Video)
As promised, here is an Australian Anti-smoking Ad that will definitely make you say "I'll quit smoking today!" The Australian government are very serious about their campaign to urge people to stop smoking.
via Youtube
Quit Smoking - Australia Proposes Tough Cigarette Packaging Rules
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| via Flickr (estherase) |
SYDNEY (AP) — Tobacco companies in Australia will be forced to strip all logos from their cigarette packages and replace them with graphic images such as cancer-riddled mouths and sickly children under legislation unveiled Thursday — a move the government says will make Australia the world's toughest country on tobacco advertising.
The law would remove one of the tobacco companies' last methods of advertising by banning them from printing their logos, promotional text or colorful images on cigarette packs. Instead, brand names will be printed in a small, uniform font, and the packets will be a dull olive green — a color the government believes consumers will hate.
"This plain packaging legislation is a world first and sends a clear message that the glamour is gone — cigarette packs will now only show the death and disease that can come from smoking," Health Minister Nicola Roxon said in a statement. "The new packs have been designed to have the lowest appeal to smokers and to make clear the terrible effects that smoking can have on your health."
Tobacco companies have been fighting the legislation and threatening legal action since the government first announced its plan last year. The law would be phased in over six months, starting in January 2012.
The legality of the measure and whether it violates trademark laws is a matter of debate among experts.British American Tobacco, which produces several cigarette brands including Winfield, Dunhill and Benson, will probably launch legal action against the government over the legislation, spokesman Scott McIntyre said.
"What company would stand for having its brands, which are worth billions, taken away from them?" McIntyre said. "A large brewing company or fast food chain certainly wouldn't and we're no different."
Smoking rates have been declining in Australia for years, but the government says cigarettes still kill 15,000 Australians a year and cost the country about $31.5 billion annually.
Tobacco advertising on billboards and in magazines has long been banned and restrictions on smoking in public places, including restaurants and bars, are common.
Public health advocates said the move to strip packages of their enticing images goes one critical step further, and will have a particularly big impact on children.
"Our research shows that the look of the pack is an important consideration for young people at risk of being drawn to smoking," Ian Olver, CEO of Cancer Council Australia, said in a statement. "So this move by the Australian government has the potential to be one of the most significant public health measures in recent history."
Other countries, such as Britain and Canada, have considered packaging restrictions in the past, but none of the measures has passed, in part because of legal questions.
The government is required under the constitution to pay compensation to anyone from whom it takes or devalues property, including intellectual property such as trademarks. But opinions are split on what the implications of those rules, and international trade laws, are in the case of cigarette packages.
Matthew Rimmer, a legal expert at The Australian National University, said the government is fully within its power to regulate the packaging of tobacco products.
"Trademarks are a government grant and governments always retain the capacity to regulate that grant," said Rimmer, who wrote a paper urging plain packaging of cigarettes in 2008. "So historically they've always had the provisions, for instance, to ban trademarks on certain things that are contrary to law."
Tim Wilson, an intellectual property and free trade expert at the Institute of Public Affairs in Australia, disagrees, saying the measure would violate international trademark and intellectual property regulations. Stripping the tobacco companies' logos from packaging diminishes the value of their trademarks, which is against the law, he said.
Threats of legal action from the tobacco industry will do nothing to dissuade the government from moving forward with the plan, said Roxon, the health minister.
"We believe we are on very strong legal grounds," she told journalists in Sydney. "We're not going to have 'big tobacco' scaring us with legal action. We want to make sure that the glamour that might have been attached to smoking in the past is dead and gone."
Do you think this will push through? Well, in a future post we will include a sample of an Autralian campaign against smoking. So if I were you, I'd quit smoking today!
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