A little vignette about smoking.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

I went to the little corner shop along from my office this morning to pick up the papers. In the queue, the guy in front of me was buying cigarettes. For those of you who don't know, Canada has pretty massive and graphic health warnings on Cigarette packages, pictures of diseased brains and dying people in hospitals. Anyway the guy looks at the packet the clerk gives him and says 'I don't want this one, I don't want to see this' and hands it back (it has a picture of a decaying lung on it). The clerk hands him another packet. The guy looks at the picture, cracked yellowing teeth. "That's much better, fella, thanks", and walks off happy.
I'm not sure if this story has much of a point, but it seems to have stuck in my head, so here it is. What's so much better about the teeth photo?

[PVnRT]

1. It's like an old Bill Hicks joke

Where he talks about the Surgeon General's warning on U.S. cigarettes.

I will try to paraphrase:

"May cause complications with pregnancy. Fuck it! Found my brand! Gimme a carton of low birth weights."

[SlavesandBulldozers]

2. gotta love Hicks

I love that line, too. WHat a genius.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

5. Of Course! I'd totally forgotten that. Thanks

[FreedomSpirit]

3. Some people just have different druthers

He could have asked to see what the entire selection was. I think it's a great idea to put those gross pictures on every pack. Great subliminal impact. The guy probably picked the yellow teeth so that he wouldn't have to think about what he was doing to his lungs.

I liked your story!

Thanks!

:hi:

[Screaming Lord Byron]

6. Thank you. Much Appreciated.

[tridim]

4. FWIW, I committed to quitting this morning.

Haven't had a craving yet, just two nic-lozenges.

I've quit several times before, but I really want to succeed this time because for the first time in my smoking career I'm starting to cough up nasty junk every morning. I'm done with that. Now I have to deal with the disgusting 'ashtray' smell all over my house and clothes.

[Loonman]

7. I got a warning

"Cigarette smoking will fucking kill you, if you don't smoke, don't start, if you do, quit. Smoking will turn your teeth yellow, make your house and your clothes and your hair stink. Smoking will make you subsidize DC fatcats with big bucks from the tobacco industry. These same politicians will then turn around and tell you you can't smoke. If this is not a problem, feel free to indulge in our product"


That's what they should put on packs.

[dwckabal]

8. That's funny

I just got back from Cancun with my mom and a friend of hers (who happens to smoke). While we were there, I commented that at least in Mexico, the text on the cigarette bus stop ads is huge, "fumar causea cancerinos" or something like that (I don't speak Spanish very well). My mom's friend made the comment, "Oh, those warnings all all a bunch of crap anyway." I just about choked on my drink when she said that.

I, too am a huge Bill Hicks fan. We sure could use him around today.

[bbernardini]

9. What would a pack a month do?

We know from those pictures (well, Canadians do, anyway), what long-term, hardcore smoking does. What about the "social" smoker, who might only smoke a pack a month, if that?