Things That Enrage Me Cause Others Despair

http://blogg.aftonbladet.se/schulman/2012/04/de-vill-ta-bort-min-lyckligaste-stund


I have no idea if this will post correctly here since I took it directly from Rupini Bergstrom on twitter,but I have hope.

It's not in English so if that's what you read you will need to translate it somehow.

No Snus Allowed in Sweden? EU Moves Against Snus.

No Snus Allowed in Sweden? EU Moves Against Snus.

For the last 15+ years, Swedish politicians and their EU representatives have been working for a lifting of the EU snus ban as it unfairly restricts Sweden's right to free trade within the EU.  As the new EU TPD is expected to come up for a vote in the 4thquarter of 2012, the stakes and the arguments have risen.

The argument by Sweden to remove the EU snus ban from the TPD was set on its side by this latest development of banning tobacco flavorings.  Effectively, the EU is breaking it's original agreement with Sweden by not actually banning snus, but banning all the flavoring ingredients required to produce snus.  These flavoring ingredients, like Swedish snus itself, have been regulated as food products since 1970 by the Swedish National Food Administration (Sweden's version of FDA).

These bastards aren't keeping their word?

That's a shock.

Federal Tax Hike Drives Roll-Your-Own Smokers To Pipe Tobacco

Federal Tax Hike Drives Roll-Your-Own Smokers To Pipe Tobacco

So how much has this tax-avoidance-by-substitution cost Uncle Sam? The GAO estimated that the shift to pipe tobacco and big cigars means the fed has realized somewhere  between $615 million and $1.1 billion less in taxes than if the product mix hadn’t changed.


Funny that.
The law of unintended consequences strikes again.

Hitler Controversy Over Comparing Smoking Regulations To Nazi Policy Is 'Bull****'

John Raese: Hitler Controversy Over Comparing Smoking Regulations To Nazi Policy Is 'Bull****'

During an April 12 dinner, Raese called a smoking ban government overreach and said, "But in Monongalia County now, I have to put a huge sticker on my buildings to say this is a smoke-free environment. This is brought to you by the government of Monongalia County. Okay?" he remarked. "Remember Hitler used to put Star of David on everybody’s lapel, remember that? Same thing."

Not something I ever thought I'd read in Huffington Post that's for sure.

Should Local Laws Limit Tobacco Displays? [POLL]

http://nyack.patch.com/articles/should-laws-limit-tobacco-diplays-poll

Now, the Village of Haverstraw has passed a local law that restricts tobacco product displays in businesses that are open to children. The legislation aims to reduce the number of youngsters who pick up the habit, officials said, and shops that do not obey can face a $500 fine.

"We know that the more often our kids are exposed to tobacco products the more likely they are to smoke," said Jeff Seyler, President and CEO of the American Lung Association of the Northeast. "In passing this forward- thinking law, the Village of Haverstraw has taken a step forward toward preventing the next generation of youth from becoming addicted to a product that leads to disease and premature death."

Ahh the ALA ,last bastions of reasonable protection and legislation. *rolls eyes*
The ALA you can trust us.

Anti-Smoking Campaign: Good Public Policy Or Heavy Handed Propaganda?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2012/04/13/150491917/anti-smoking-campaign-good-public-policy-or-heavy-handed-propaganda?ft=1&f=1057

Should the government be in the propaganda business? Should we, as a people, seek to use fear and sensational images to dictate behavior? How about only when it's for a good cause and backed by sound science? Maybe.

Does the government have the right to compel companies to carry out propaganda campaigns for the government? Maybe.

Reasonable people will differ on how to answer these questions. And constitutional law scholars will have something to say.

But what concerns me is the general tendency — nicely on display in The New York Times editorial — to obscure the difference between propaganda — speech that aims to further an end — and other forms of informed and informative speech.

Umm wow,just wow.

Nice read NPR.

Harsher smoking ban hits Ottawa Monday

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/harsher-smoking-ban-hits-ottawa-today-104942105.html

As of July 2, bylaw officers will have the authority to issue provincial offence notices that carry fines up to $300.

Greg Smith laughed about the changes.

"I'll take my car and go out in a field about 10 km out of town and have a smoke," he said, "because that's where we're heading."

Can you still buy cigarettes?

Of course the government needs the revenue........

But where the hell can you smoke the damn things now?