The petty hatred of The Tobacco Control Industry

Free fags spark inquiry

An investigation will be launched following revelations one of the world's biggest tobacco companies gives New Zealand workers free cigarettes.
Imperial Tobacco's commercial boss Brendan Walker this week confirmed cigarettes were available to office staff and workers during breaks at its Petone factory.

Oh dear me. Lots of companies give free or discounted samples of their products to their workers. It's just a bit of a bonus for them. I'm sure they're not forcing their employees to smoke.

"It is purely for research. The fact of the matter is we are keen to receive the feedback and comments on those particular manufacturing runs," he said.

That statement seems a bit weasely to me, but companies do involve workers in testing products as the feedback can be invaluable. It's not against the law?

The Herald on Sunday queried the legal situation with health officials who confirmed Imperial Tobacco would be investigated.
Smokefree legislation bans manufacturers from distributing tobacco product free of charge or at a reduced charge.

Oh, so it is. It's a bit mean though. I mean it's not like they're standing on street corners handing out free fags to kids, they're giving them to employees, people who want to use them and will be grateful for getting that bit more from the company they work for.

Walker said he was confident the company was acting within the law, because the company did not give "free" products.

"We've sought legal advice on this matter," he said. "Individuals choose to test our product. They give us feedback on that. It's entirely up to an individual whether they see it as a perk or not."

That may just be taking advantage of a loophole or it may be genuine. Who cares? The Tobacco Control Industry are the only people who would say an employer can not give free samples to the staff because they are full of spite and hate smokers.

Action on Smoking and Health director Ben Youdan said he would be disappointed if the company was able to get around the legislation.

"It's appalling. Why go to the effort of having health and safety, steel capped boots, all of that, if you're going to provide a product during the tea break that will eventually kill half of them?"

See. Sensible health and safety at work is a lot different to having a fag on your tea break. If the company did not supply the fags then the workers would just buy them themselves. Interference from Tobacco Control will not stop the workers smoking, it will just remove a nice little perk that they have earned.

Imperial Tobacco was also under fire this week over emissions from chimneys at its Petone factory.

Oooh Dear! Passive smoking on an industrial scale?

The factory has just moved to an around-the-clock operation and local residents had complained to the authorities over increased odours.

Imperial's commercial boss Brendan Walker said [...]

"The odour is a result of steam created during our tobacco blending process," Walker said.

On whether the emission was harmful to the public, he said: "I'm not a chemist, I don't know. I would almost certainly say no. It really is just steam and tobacco leaf. It really is just steam."

Yes. And we all know what Tobacco Control thinks of steam, don't we.

Meanwhile, back in the USA...

New push is on to push smoking out of casinos

Go to a Kansas City area casino and you won’t see any smokers lurking outside for a few quick drags.
They’re all on the gaming floor lighting up freely — and legally.
The smell of their tobacco smoke is in the air. It’s on your clothes. It fills your lungs.
And local health advocates want it to stop.

The bias drips thickly from the pen of the reporter from the outset. I bet he didn't even go in any casinos to research this article.

I bet the 'health advocates don't even go in casinos either, there would be to much risk of them enjoying themselves.

They’ve been meeting with casino representatives and elected officials lately to urge them to support changing the municipal ordinances and state laws that have allowed gaming floors to remain one of the last public refuges for smokers. The health advocates’ next step is to get the public involved.

The health advocates have no business getting the public involved as they already are. Those that want to go in casinos do so and those who don't, don't.
The public who don't use casinos have no say in the matter. It's up to the owners to decide based on what is best for business.

“I don’t think people realize casinos still allow smoking. We want to get it on the radar,” said Joyce Morrison, spokeswoman for Clean Air Metro KC

They would realise it if they ever actually went in a casino. At the risk of repeating myself, why would someone who doesn't even know that smoking is allowed in casinos be allowed a say in the matter?

“Our message to casinos: Smoke-free casinos are inevitable. We want to be able to have a conversation with you instead of fighting it out in legislative hearings,” Morrison said.

You don't want a conversation, you want acquiescence. You want casinos to become smoke free and start closing their doors through lack of business, just because you detest smokers. You will never go in these places, you only want to affect what goes on behind doors you will never enter because you are full of hatred for people who enjoy something you disapprove of.

This can't be about health, only hate.