Neutral Tobacco Packs

[Esote]

As written in the "Smoking is good?" Thread, I had my first encounter with a 'neutral pack' of tobacco :

I asked for FAIRGREEN, the only organic tobacco available in France that I know of (growing in Poland and manufactured in Germany).
A dark-green pack was handled to me, with a picture of a woman splitting blood on a white towel, and the name of the brand hardly visible and changed to FERGREEN with nothing more to read than 'Virginia Green' and the manufacturer address.

100% tobacco? Organic? How much nicotine or tar etc.? Nothing!
In the inside of the pack there is only a big 'Smoking Kills' and that it gives cancer.
So that you don't even know any more what you are purchasing.

It seems somehow illegal to me, but what can we do about that?
Anybody to give advices about how to deal with this situation in order to have basic information written on these new packs?..

 

[3DStudent]

It seems somehow illegal to me, but what can we do about that?
Anybody to give advices about how to deal with this situation in order to have basic information written on these new packs?..

If the images are too suggestive to your subconscious, you could take the cigarettes out and put them in a plain metal or plastic cigarette case. I recall the C's saying that believing that cancer would be gotten from smoking was the cause. You may not be able to do much about the labeling, it's fallout from dis-info in the medical industry. Not sure if this addresses what you're asking, but fwiw.

 

[Palinurus]

Apparently, they changed the law first so it's not illegal.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_tobacco_packaging

France

In December 2010, a UMP member of the French parliament tabled a member's Bill aimed at creating plain packaging. However the bill did not pass despite ongoing support from health associations.[89] As in other countries there was fierce protest from the tobacco industry and tobacco retailers associations. The health minister also seemed luke-warm in his support, preferring to see the effect of newly introduced health warnings.[90]

Under the next legislature however, the Socialist new government health minister, Marisol Touraine, said she would fight especially at the European level for "neutral packaging". As in Australia, the tobacco industry countered that generic packaging would be easy to counterfeit, which would increase illegal cigarette sales.[91] The EU directive eventually contained no explicit measures regarding plain packaging. In reaction, the French government announced the introduction of a bill containing provisions for generic cigarette packaging on September 25, 2014.[92] The bill was passed on December 17, 2015. The tobacco industry promptly attacked it in court, but lost its case. All packaging manufactured for the French market after 20 May 2016 is to be plain,[93] and as of January 1st, 2017 only plain packs will be allowed for sale in French outlets. France will then be the second state, after Australia, to have plain packaging fully into force.

I don't think we can do anything about it since the fierce opposition of the tobacco industry itself couldn't prevent this from happening.

 

[Esote]

I don't care about neutral packaging if you know what is inside. But this is just crazy!

Better to find alternatives ways...

 

[Esote]

Here is the answer from the manufacturer :

I am sure you have heard about the new Tobacco product law (TPD II) that came into force on the 20th May 2016 in the whole lot of Europe. The TPD is the EU directive that regulates several angles of how to market your product to all member states of the European Union how to market t. It’s been responsible for bans on tobacco advertising, warning labels and bans on smoking in public places. The latest version of the TPD (it’s updated every ten years or so) took over a year of ‘discussions’, however, the look of packaging will change. In some countries like the France more drastically than in others. In France you will find plain packaging on cigarettes and roll your own tobacco products like the FAIRGREEN/FERGREEN.

In other countries it might not be plain packaging, but also increased health warnings and limited scope in communicating the attributes of our products. The law strictly forbids communication on the package that might make the product seem less harmful than others with stating the organic properties. For FAIRGREEN/FERGREEN this means that we cannot state Organic on the product anymore, although you are still buying the same organic tobacco as before (see the respective legislation cutting below).

You might guess the next step already… with the new restrictions coming with the law we faced the problem, that the name FAIRGREEN is highly risky implying improved biodegradability or other environmental advantages which is why we decided to register a new brand name that is as close to the original one as possible having FAIRGREEN renamed to -> FERGREEN.

Having said that there is absolutely NO CHANGE in the product that you are buying besides the layout that’s its dressed in...


Article 13

1. The labelling of unit packets and any outside packaging and the tobacco product itself shall not include any element or feature that:

(a) promotes a tobacco product or encourages its consumption by creating an erroneous impression about its characteristics, health effects, risks or emissions; labels shall not include any information about the nicotine, tar or carbon monoxide content of the tobacco product;

(b) suggests that a particular tobacco product is less harmful than others or aims to reduce the effect of some harmful components of smoke or has vitalizing, energetic, healing, rejuvenating, natural, organic properties or has other health or lifestyle benefits;

(c) refers to taste, smell, any flavorings or other additives or the absence thereof;

(d) resembles a food or a cosmetic product;

(e) suggests that a certain tobacco product has improved biodegradability or other environmental advantages.

2. The unit packets and any outside packaging shall not suggest economic advantages by including printed vouchers, offering discounts, free distribution, two-for-one or other similar offers.

3. The elements and features that are prohibited pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 may include but are not limited to texts, symbols, names, trademarks, figurative or other signs.

Now, who is going to control the tobacco production and manufacturing, if nothing appears about the product ?..

 

[Chacara]

This is a complete craziness!!! :O I can't believe what I've just read! You're right, Sow: what's about the quality control??? Does it mean that one day they can classify tobacco as an illicit drug?

 

[Goemon_]

65% of the pack must be cover with text and image of proaganda. They call it a Neutral pack...

 

[Esote]

May be not an illicit drug, Chacara, rather something like a legal one with an illicit content, or could it be an illicit one with a legal content ?

That's it, Goemon, a 'neutral pack' filled with politically correct propaganda ! And who cares about what is inside ?

Walking on the head...