Well done Paul. I’m 2 weeks off them myself and can honestly say it’s the best thing. The cravings will pass and you’ll soon realise the difference and it’s so worth it!!! Someone was smoking infront of me the other day and I didn’t want one!!! Was so proud!! I think the person has to want to give up otherwise any image is not going to work. It didn’t with me anyway I just didn’t look at them.

I gave up 5 days Ago and what helped me is Alan Carr book the easy way to stop smoking. This book is no magic but it helps to deal trough bad moments mentally. Would recommend it. I’ve been fine all five days with little craving but just saying to myself there is no advantage to smoking what’s so ever! It’s only nicotine addiction it will stop. And its been great I’ve said 25 euro already and I don’t smell of ciggies.

Well done Paul, I’m 20 months off them, and by far the best move I ever made. It was tough, and very hard at time, but every horrible craving, and sleepless night, and following smokers down the street (not any more I avoid them like the plague), was all worth it. My friend, who works out in the Oncology department used to daily tell me about the effects of lung cancer, throat cancer, you name it, had zero effect,. Pictures or advertising had little effect on me also, its like showing a heroine addict a heroine addict, the connection is not made. After reading Alan Carr, and gentle help from my doctor, I’m now smoke free, and loving it!

I agree with Jurate about the Alan Carr book. I’ve been off ciggies the past few months and the book really helped. It’s not a miracle cure, you still need the willpower, but it changes the way you think about smoking and helps when you crave one. I found after the first week it got so much easier. I stayed away from the pub for a few weeks too because that was where I always fell down when I perviously attempted to quit

Fair play to all of you for giving up the cigs. I eventually managed to stop around 7 years ago after reading the Allen Carr book (the big one) a couple of times. He explains brilliantly the psychology of smoking and why it has such a powerful hold on people. The addiction loses a lot of its force once the mechanics of how the nicotine trap works is understood completely by the smoker.
Anyway, I wish you all the very best of luck with your efforts. It’s a bit of a struggle but very achievable if the head is right. I can honestly say I never crave or even think about the fags now and it’s one of the best things that I’ve done for myself and the family. Keep the faith.

Well done Paul – stick with it! I am 2 weeks off them today and feel amazing! Couldn’t have done it without patches and an e-cigarette! It does get easier! Best of luck to you both :)

Paul it is easy give up the fags. I’ve done it loads of times.

Hypnosis, I hear, is a very good route for people that find it difficult to kick it. Anybody here been hypnotized?

Leave Fags alone……LMAO

Plain packaging has been in australia a few months now. Even the name around the filter now reads a number rather than a brand. Haven’t seen too many cases. The have photos of victims of smoking related deaths – Smokers exchange conversation around ‘who did you get this time?’ ‘I got mike, its terrible….anyway got a light?’

For the occasional smoker like myself there is definitely less appeal with the box and the graphic photos…

Actually I saw some stickers for covering them up online somewhere.. So yeah, the ways around it are already available..

Fair play. You are over the worst of it now.

Well said, Matt. I don’t quite understand why people spend their time dissing smokers. Like that’s going to help.

Just stop. Put the money you would have spent in a container in the press. See how it accumulates. You will get the jitters, anger and other withdrawal symptoms. Ride them through. Worked for me.

This is my second time getting off them. I’m so choked up right now, and the funny ting is, if I didn’t smoke, I probably would not have got the flu at all. I’ll put up with ANYTHING to get off them.

Well done Chris.

A social smoker?

I must be an anti social smoker.

The Authorities haven’t learned yet. In fact they are negligently slow on the uptake. Smokers cannot see and cannot read. I should know after a lifetime with the habit. The real danger is that these packs with obscene photographs will be seen by kids and cause all sorts of problems for them.
No Government should promote by law the mass distribution of obscene pictures that their own regulations would prohibit in any other medium .
We can talk about their spectacular failure with the smoking ban later.

It took a disease on someone else to make you stop? Eh duuuuu

I think it would do kids a great deal of good to be scared sh*tless by these pictures, creates a fantastic negative link in their minds with smoking!

@Aidan Was that in English?

Wait, is the person who just stopped smoking just because of a picture, and not the years of 1000s of warnings, deaths, ruined lives and disease mocking my comment?

You sir are ripping the piss and need to take a look in the mirror.

I gave an answer to the question asked in this article, do I think it will make a difference and yes I do, it’s disgusting. It does have an effect, the beautiful purple and white box lost its appeal with a huge neck tumour attached to it. Maybe you should make a comment on the article itself Aido!

Na Chriso, this topic is done and dusted for me, I prefer to comment on the commentators, it’s more fun pulling them apart.

@Michael: While I also think the images will make little difference to anybody but those who have a few with a beer your point about kids seeing obscene pictures is tripe.

I smoke but would never do so in my house. I don’t have kids but I do have housemates. Seeing obscene photos? If you saw your kid looking at something similar on the web you’d make sure it wouldn’t happen – so why not keep the box in your pocket or at least out of sight?

Doesn’t look like you’re doing a very good job Aido!

Of amusing myself? Oh I beg to differ.

Listen petal, I’m delighted those pictures are the straw that broke the camels back for you, but personally can’t understand how the TV ad from years ago that had the lady with a hole in her neck talking using a computer aided device or any previous warnings didn’t do it. Or the people dead from cancer that you more than likely know/know of.

Anyway, hope you stay off the scag, lots of hopeful love, “Aido”.

Hi again it’s Chris, I don’t know what add you’re referring to pet, however this is the most graphic display I have seen in this country and it’s obviously going to make a much bigger impact when it’s on the product itself. Anyway as I said before in answer to the article itself is yes I believe it works, it worked for me! I’d say your teachers had their work cut out. Take care honey and mind yourself.

Good talk.

http://youtu.be/KXnoufGa91E

Great job aido!

Red thumbs are my favourite thumbs

But is it enough to stop you from smoking

Fair play. Good to see social smokers buying their own cigarettes

How’s your budgie doin aido?

Alochol in moderation doesnt doesnt have harmful effects. In fact a glass of wine a day is good for you
Happy Meals in moderation dont have harmful effects
As to the passports. What?

That’s true Zachary but then, we’re in Ireland where only the blind don’t see that we drink a lot more than what can be regarded as “moderation”.

Never, ever read a story about a cigarette driving someone to beat their partner. That’s not to defend smoking – it’s a nasty thing – but I think Darren is suggesting some perspective here.

Apples and Oranges. We are talking about health risks here not criminal behaviour.

However I agree with you that alcohol and moderation have a hard time finding each other in Ireland

Apples and Oranges. We are talking about health risks here not criminal behaviour.

Not really apples and oranges then, eh? Alcohol is a problem both in personal health and, potentially, as criminal behaviour. The cost per year in Ireland is around €3.7 billion spent on crime and health effects.

The dividing line (for me) is that criminal aspect is that smoking is a personal choice when you make the effort to not smoke in the presence of a non-smoker. Drinking to excess (which happens a LOT) can end up in direct harm to others.

Yes drinking to excess is harmful but that is because an individual chooses to drink to excess. However alcohol on its own is not harmful.
Cigarettes are harmful if you smoke 1 a day or 20 a day

I agree that drinking to excess is a problem in this country, however the government couldn’t tackle it the same way.

I agree! My boy toy works for one of the 3 major tobacco companies here in the US. They have fought these pics on packs and rightly so…. The effects of smoking have been known for years now. It’s nothing new. And I think if they put pics on ciggie packs they should also put pics on cell phone cases and alcohol labels because these items have a potential to kill as well!!

Everything has the potential to kill.
Cigarettes do nothing but kill

Actually..
A glass of red wine per day may be good for your heart due to the reservatol, but spirits and beers? Not much in the line of health benefits at all really, they deplete thiamine, put stress on the liver, increase Candida albicans levels exponentially (which increases the risk of cancers) and cause tremendous weight gain.

McDonalds happy meals contain so much artificial preservatives that their burgers have been known to last for years.. They’re also packed full of MSG which is emerging as a massive problem to public health (wouldn’t be surprised if it goes the way of E123 soon). So they would do just as much harm as smoking 5-10 per day, just to different parts of the body..

So really – McDonalds and Alcohol are just as damaging as smoking – but smoking is the one most people are actually trying to cut back on.. The alcohol and junk food – well, it’s pretty darn obvious that people aren’t taking that message about moderation too much to heart..

Only good comment here.
We’ve tried everything else lets try this attitude is what we have with this packaging. Maybe just let people do what they want and let their medical bills reflect their life choices eh

Aidan, Would it kill you to drop an occasional comma into your comments? It’s really quite difficult to read a stream of consciousness.

Having the pics might not stop current smokers but hopefully they will go someway to stopping youngsters from starting.

Yep, I agree. That was an inspired ad. Whenever I see that ad it actually makes me gag.

Because their product is identical to their competitors’, so they have to differenciate themselves. Brand loyalty and nicotine addiction are two different things.

What about new or young smokers? Might deter them from taking up this bad habit

I don’t believe it will make the slightest difference. Despite highly publicised sudden deaths from ecstasy, sales have increased massively. Why is this?

I agree with both of you, Shane and Siobhan. It wouldn’t deter someone addicted to cigarettes, but it might put off people who are going to start. I speak as a 10-years, 30-35 a day smoker who gave up back in the ’80′s. None of the anti-smoking campaigns got through to me. You have to want to do it really badly and have a lot of support from family and friends. (In fact some of my friends I didn’t contact for about two years because they smoked. It also helped that I’d given up my job to help run a business and neither of us smoked).
And you also are absolutely right, Darren. I think it’s difficult for people to realise just how difficult it is unless you’ve either been an addict yourself or worked with addicts. Just because they’re legal and not mind-altering doesn’t mean they’re not as addictive as heroin or cocaine. And no, they don’t kill you as quickly but the statistics are there.

Sadly, you’re probably right.

thats an excellent point a campaign by people who understand the dilemma of the smoker

Such nonsense! The pub trade is not ruined because of the smoking ban. There are many more factors including the price and the destruction of traditional pubs. When the pubs were packed thirty years ago few people went to restaurants or even drank coffee! It’s a cultural change. No jobs can be lost by upping the price of smokes. The black market is a problem with the Judges. The fines for selling smuggled cigarettes are laughably low. Smoking is the biggest waste of money there is, except maybe setting fire to it….Oh! that’s what they do..

I smoked those ozzie ones for about 6 months…the packaging didnt deter me..I never looked at it. When I offered a fag to someone they look at the cigarette not the packaging. It will work to demonise smokers, those who dont smoke will be horrified. A lot of kids will love it…I know I loved Death cigarettes when they came out..everyone wanted them.
We are hardened lot…yeah we want to give up. But a picture of what my lung looks like isnt going to deter me..i already have a good idea of what it might look like… I feel it everyday when i wake up.

If tabacco kills…jail the manufacturers…jail the distributers..jail the government who tax it and prey on the poor addicted smoker.
And yes it costs a fortune to provide for the healthcare of the smoker as they die but we the people save a fortune on their pensions

If the “next generation” already get their hands on cigarettes illegally, how exactly would the work?

Where would the taxes come from? Almost 90% of the price is already.duty. the government will need to raise that from non smokers. I’m sure that would make you happy

The guys who sell weed would just start selling fags too. Sillyness.

Obviously if you wanted to get them you could, but as I said it would deter people, it’s alot more hassle to get them illegally then it is to pop down to the local shop.

Banning them would remove the social aspect, and probably be entirely effective. Not that I can see it happening in a single country.

78% of the price is VAT and excise duty, not 90%. And the tobacco black market is already booming. The Government lost an estimated €581 million on the illegal sale of tobacco last year and the Irish economy lost €736 million. http://www.itmac.ie/?content=MainPage

Sure aren’t you just the great fella.

Ha ha! Great reply to an idiotic comment!

Not by smokers they’re not.

its called addiction Daisy.

Ah musha poor junkie, just like the skagheads and alcoholics.

Smokers ARE idiots. Why is Daisy getting red thumbs? It’s not so addictive that you cannot stop if you think about it and realise that you have a 50% chance of it killing you. A couple smoking have a 3 in 4 chance (75% chance) of one of them dying from the fags. Insane!

wont make any difference having pics on them of rotting lungs… maybe a warning that any health issues that they get from smoking will not be paid for by health insurance or the goverment. any treatment should be paid for out of their own pockets