Last night before going to bed, I saw on the news that our lovely government had a new law coming in effect that day (May 31st): The Tobacco Act. Imagine this, we, in Québec, now have a law OBLIGING retailers to HIDE their cigarettes from customers. Yes, you read that correctly, the cigarettes have to be hidden! Only the store clerk can see them. I just can’t believe it. How ridiculous is this?
I’m not even thinking about the rights of the smokers and all that, I’m simply thinking that it is SAD that a society needs such laws. I’ve always thought that we suffer a lot from the lack of personal accountability, or the “mama bird syndrome” as we like to call it. What do I mean by that? Mama Bird goes out and gets food for her babies. Not only does she catch it but she also eats it and regurgitates into the babies’ mouths. Not only the little ones don’t have to think about getting food or how to do it, but they get fed at home… all they have to do is swallow! That’s how we are. We don’t think for ourselves anymore, we’re no longer responsible of our actions or lack there of… We just expect society to take care of us.
Why is it that we are at a point in time when basically must have our government think for us? Why can’t we assume the fact that if we do something there are consequences for that action? If you smoke, it’s your choice. You should be aware enough (I didn’t use the word “intelligent” here, because that would be assuming a lot) that there might be some consequences to that action. It’s not like it’s not publicize enough that smoking causes lung cancer. If you choose to ignore that, for whatever reason, that’s your choice. You also then forfeit your right to complain.
Is the government thinking that by hiding the cigarettes people will forget to smoke? Or that being hidden those little coffin nails it will not incite kids to pick up the habit? We, as humans, have been smoking for ages. It’s not by creating such a law that it will keep people who truly want to smoke to do so. It’s a choice people make.
What’s next, the stores will have to hide all cakes and items containing cholesterol, in order to “help” people with weight/health issues? I just can’t get over how ridiculous this is… Is it just me…?
12 comments:
I believe that it's going to happen here as well .......... ho hum
I know, its madness. If they really wanted to stop people smoking, they would just ban it, and stop with the stupid half measures, like no-smoking in public places and hiding them under the counter.
But then again, heroin is illegal, and people still take that....
Hate to disagree here, but the less I get to see/smell/think about cigarettes, the better!
And while we're venting, I just loooooove the way Montreal's word-renowned terasses have become smokers' paradise!
daddy p: Better watch it...
pigeon: That was my point, if people want to do things, they will in or out of sight.
marius: I know!
jason67: Don't get me wrong here, I don't enjoy cigarettes in any way, but I really don't think that hidding them will keep people from smoking/buying/thinking about them either!
Hey, if we didn't have stupid laws, what would the politicians do? ;-)
maybe they're firm believers in "out of site, out of mind". i'm here to tell you it doesn't work because i try it with shoes all the time.
Wow, that is crazy. Here the stores hide the porn magazines behind the counter! LOL
It is just silly, the more you tell people NOT to do something the more they want to do it just to be rebellious!
I don't know about the hiding them law but I was and am TOTALLY for banning smoking in public places. Someone else overeating or shooting heroin doesn't infiltrate into my lungs or my children's lungs.
I can even smell it when someone is smoking in a car on the highway near me. Gross!!
ananke: Good point!
kara: Oh, and it doesn't work with chocolate either! ;-)
grail: Exactly!
princess: Me too! I hated eating and smelling cigarette's smoke, so yucky! But still, I don't think that hidding them will solve the issue of trying to make people smoke less. Banning smoking yes, hiding cigarettes I don't think so.
Small voice of descent here, and it comes from my role as "mom." I would just as soon not have my son see cigarettes openly for sale. At least for kids, I think "out of sight, out of mind" is fairly accurate. Even as a former smoker, I find that I think about cigarettes a lot less if they aren't right in front of me. Maybe I'm the exception to the rule. BTW, I don't think hiding them is going to keep those who really want them from buying them. I just think it might help those of us who have quit and don't want to restart and those who haven't started yet.
Just one woman's opinion.
trueself: I understand your view for a child, but for adults...
Just catching up on your archives. They did this over here a while ago now.
It's actually annoying for me. I'm a smoker and I smoke a fairly rare brand. I used to be able to waltz up and glance at the shelves to see if they stocked it. Now, wherever I go, I have to wait in lines and waste someone's time asking if they have my brand.
Yes, I know, big fucking deal.
I think if they really didn't want people to smoke, they would ban it (it wouldn't work, but they always think it will...)
But they don't actually want to do that, because (over here at least) they raise millions of dollars in taxes from cigarettes. Where would all those tax dollars come from if they forced us smokers onto the black market?
This new law is just paying lip service to the anti-smoking campaign. It won't change a bloody thing (except the amount of time I spend hanging around cigarette counters), and the government doesn't expect it to.
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