Health Warnings

[Rehman]

THE otherwise splendid little cabinet of Por Larranaga Petit Coronas I just received from Cigar Czar was vandalised by a wrap-around Australian government health warning sticker depicting a diseased mouth and advising me I could quit smoking if I truly, madly, deeply wanted to.

Puh-leeze. You do NOT say such things to a person holding a box of Cuban cigars in joyful anticipation of smoking each and every one of them in the course of the forthcoming years.

The sticker was easily enough removed, fortunately, proving once again the relative liberalism of Australian authorities as compared with, say, Singapore's, whose health-warning stickers seem molecularly bonded to the surfaces they desecrate with these impudent cautions to their elders and betters.

Mine own Malaysia recently began disgracing cigarette packs with full-colour photographs of cancerous mouths, aborted foetuses and gangrenous feet (!what was that poor fellow smoking, and how?), which has led to a trend in cigarette cases. But they don't similarly smear cigars, revealing what I choose to see as deep-seated latent good manners.

For the life of me as a lifelong apologist for institutional governance, I can't think of a more offensive intrusion of the state than such righteous official graffiti. If the collapse of decent civilisation must involve this invasive conceit, might I suggest that health warnings be re-worded as follows:

"It is incumbent upon us as a compassionate and humanistic administration, driven by ideals of love, peace, happiness and physical fitness, to advise you that some people would not share your passion for the contents of this package. Please therefore enjoy this product with consideration and as far away from us as possible. Thank you. This sticker is removable and recyclable."

[docbp87]

Amen! Well said.

And I am relieved to know that the Australian stickers come off easily...

[investandprosper]

A hair dryer works wonders!

[mazolaman]

Yep,pretty bloody pointless.

I'm waiting for a packet of biscuits to have a picture of someones overhanging fat gut on them.

Or pornography to have a pair of glasses on it.

Maybe a pint of beer should have a picture of some ugly man/woman you might end up sleeping with.

[docbp87]

Yep,pretty bloody pointless.

I'm waiting for a packet of biscuits to have a picture of someones overhanging fat gut on them.

Or pornography to have a pair of glasses on it.

Maybe a pint of beer should have a picture of some ugly man/woman you might end up sleeping with.

Wait wait... you mean to tell me that those things are responsible for my poor eye sight, belly fat, and questionable sex life?

[adic88]

"It is incumbent upon us as a compassionate and humanistic administration, driven by ideals of love, peace, happiness and physical fitness, to advise you that some people would not share your passion for the contents of this package. Please therefore enjoy this product with consideration and as far away from us as possible. Thank you. This sticker is removable and recyclable."

That would be the best health warning ever.

[cigcars]

*ALL of the comments on this new sticker subject from you all are on-target and humorous as hell!

[CanuckSARTech]

*ALL of the comments on this new sticker subject from you all are on-target and humorous as hell!

+ 1. Well said all.