Liberal Vision

Government signals “illicit tobacco welcome here”

So much for a government committed to “the big society”. So much for a government that said it was going to talk to us seriously – not treat us like idiots – not tell us what to do. So much for a government that was going to get out of the way of business.

So here we have a government that, if reports are to be believed, at the first hurdle is buckling to pressure from a government funded lobbying group and that age old nonsense about “saving the kids” – and seriously considering forcing tobacco companies to package cigarettes in plain packets.

First and foremost, the idea that “glitzy packages” are the reason why kids start smoking is simply preposterous. Look along any cigarette counter at any supermarket or newsagent and what you see is oblong boxes with the words “SMOKNG KILLS” all over them. They come in quite dull colours – a lot of white, a splash of purple here, a dash of gold there. But “glitzy” ? hardly. This is another poorly thought-through spurious piece of nonsense from the ASH evangelists – who just can’t leave well alone.

I understand. ASH has to justify the huge amount of money they take off the government . They would hardly continue to argue for there very nice handout if they sat there and did nothing. 

But what is the government thinking? If reports are to be believed – this is an EXPERIMENT.. apparently ” ministers want to see if changing the appearance of cigarette packets could deter children from taking up smoking“.

Well I want to see how many jobs this is likely to cost. How much tax revenue this is likely to lose. How many more illicit tobacco products will be sold if this insane idea becomes law.  How can any sensible govenment seriously consider a measure that – more than any other I can think of – will make it eaiser and cheaper than ever before to produce counterfeit tobacco?  – replacing a legitmate, taxed and policed business with an illegal one.

Why don’t we go the whole hog and put up a sign at Dover that says “illict tobacco products welcome here“. Lets not worry that the criminals don’t pay anything  to the Exchequeror indeed what the profits from this activity might be funding. Lets not concern ourselves that the criminals will distribute their products – most often bypassing legitimate tobacco retailers  – to anyone will to pay for them regardless of age. And let’s not worry that when kids know that they can go to “Joe” for cheap cigarettes – how easy it will it be for them to go to him for anything else they know Joe has in his larder of goodies. 

No. Let’s make it easier to counterfeit.

Let’s see just how far the this government is willing to go, what market share the criminals can actually secure, and what level of much-needed tax revenue it is willing to give up, before the government decides this was not such a good idea afterall.