Quote: Tony Cowards @ August 16 2012, 12:28 AM BSTWhen I was at Uni all the "cool" kids smoked Marlborough cigarettes because they sponsored Formula One and had the "cool" red and white packaging.
If packaging and branding wasn't effective companies wouldn't plough millions of pounds into it.
Exactly - the government if they were being true to their thoughts would actually allow more branding/sponsorship. That way more money would be spent by cigarette manufacturers on advertising/sponsorship/promotion. More importantly though tax revenue would increase massively.
Personally, I think if a large sector of society are prepared to be ripped of regally by the tax man in order to stink like an ashtray/lose dignity by standing outside public buildings smoking/bring themselves to an early death/etc etc by smoking - then fine - bring it on!
The government show a profit even when health treatment for smokers v their tax paid through smoking is calculated = a right result!
It keeps the tax bills of non-smokers down by doing so - and takes pressure of the pension time bomb due to the fact people are willing to pay for reducing their life span.
So - no to white packs...yes to even more seductive packaging.