Small shops in Huddersfield fear new tobacco display ban: What do you think?

loopyjuice: “I am not in favour of smoking but. If you are permitted to sell tobacco, then you should be allowed to advertise it like any other product, including national advertising. If the government is so concerned about the dangers of smoking why not ban it altogether. Instead of playing games. Could it be anything to do with taxes or am I being too cynical?”

rj: “If tobacco sales dropped by a quarter the lost revenue would be catastrophic. Why don’t we ban everything that is bad for us? We are being led by the hand too much. As an ex smoker lung cancer and associated problems with smoking were not going to happen to me, it was always going to be someone else? If people wish to smoke then let them but try to educate them not to smoke. As with petrol, no matter what the cost we/they will always find enough money to keep buying. Personally, I’m glad I stopped all those years ago and I sympathise with those who wish to stop but can’t. Governments talk the talk when it comes to the cost of smoking and I am not talking about the cost of a packet of cigarettes, I am talking about the long term cost of sickness associated with smoking. But do you know what, they will never ban smoking. There is too much money to be lost and the manufacturers would be up in arms.”

Yeton: “Oh dear, here we go again, the evil smoker costing the taxpayer money. Look at the figures. They pay enough in tax to fund the health service many times over. Do you really think a child goes into a shop and sees cigarettes on display and thinks, wow, I must buy some of them. Dream on. Smokers start because they see others smoking. I did because my parents did. Thankfully my children had more sense than me and none took up the habit although I smoked until they were teenagers. I stopped 20 years ago, not for health reasons but because the price got silly.”

: “O.K. Yeton, smokers pay a lot of tax. They also save the taxpayer a lot of money by dying early and not drawing on the pension funds. On the other hand smoking is by far the biggest cause of fires – an incalculable amount. The British Medical Association is less concerned about finance than about the vast medical resources that have to be diverted into what amounts to self-inflicted injury.”

jeremybear: “I thought most folk only buy contraband gaspers and baccy from any source not known to the authorities. Sounds like desperation for these shops. Will they, can they survive without smoking sales? Adapt and survive.”