They can put them in whatever kind of packaging they like, but if you ask me, it won't make one bit of a difference in the long run.
While I don't personally smoke, I do happen to know a lot of smokers. Because of that I see a lot of cigarette packages. They come in red. They come in blue, green... They come in plainer packaging too and the majority of the packages these days are also adorned with a very graphic picture warning of the dangers involved with smoking both for yourself and others who may be near you. In spite of the fact cigarettes are now kept behind doors and curtains, I'm sure most people have seen these pictures... rotten teeth, blistered tongues, stroke victims, black lungs... you name it, it's on there.
But even so, of all the smokers I know, NONE say these ugly pictures have any impact on how much they smoke. These are smokers who will smoke regardless of what their cigarettes are packaged in.
With that said, a group of Canadian anti-smoking activists is lobbying Ottawa to follow suit with an Australian decision to make all cigarette packaging the same - a plain, drab olive color with nothing else on the box except graphic warnings and images of cancer ridden mouths and blinded eyeballs etc... The law has just kicked in in Australia and the country is hoping others will soon follow the lead.
I'm a non-smoker as I mentioned. In fact, I hate cigarette smoke and it wouldn't bother me in the least if all cigarettes disappeared from the face of the earth, never to return. That's not going to happen and as far as I'm concerned, nor will the change of packaging have a significant impact. People have been warned. People have been educated. They know full well the dangers and the ill effect smoking can have on one's health but those who want to, smoke anyway. It's no different than alcohol and fast food. We know there are potential harmful effects but we indulge anyway.
So why bother throwing away endless dollars on campaigns and lawsuits - as this would no doubt involve - when the end result will be the same? You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. You can put a different label on my favorite bottle of wine, but once I discover it's the same on the inside, do you think what's on the outside will really matter?
