About two weeks ago, I went on a rant about the "nanny state" bullshit the US govt shoves down our throats... you know, the post culminating in "suck my balls", regarding the pact act? Well, if any of you pay attention to the news ticker on this site, you probably have an idea of what's going on. If not, here comes my (very abbreviated, and HIGHLY interpretative) version. The EU is not only continuing it's union wide ban on our favorite tobacco product, but is also getting ready to pass a new anti tobacco initiative that has serious implications on snus as we know it. At the core of this initiative are three main points:
1.) Packaging/marketing... they want to make all tobacco products look the same. Simple, plain labels etc... the reason being, they don't want tobacco products being bought because they're "pretty", "shiny", or look unique. In other words, the powers that be are under the assumption that their subjects (hey, that's how they're being treated), are too stupid to realize the implications of a tobacco product if it's in a pretty package. As far as practical application is concerned... this point poses the least threat to our snus. That said, if I were a European, I'd be pretty fucking insulted right now... I mean, your government must think you are ALL a bunch of full blown, short-bus-riding, retards (read: window-lickers, simpletons, mentally hadicapped, idiots), to say to you "Er.... we don't think you're bright enough to associate the risks of tobacco, with tobacco... IF that tobacco is... uh... in a pretty package". Really? I'm so glad the govt cares... O.o ***EDIT*** It seems this has been scratched from the bill since my last reading (in other words, big tobacco lobbyist's won... imagine that)
2.) Flavoring... this point pretty much follows the first one. But instead of being about a pretty package, it's about the flavor profile of the snus. So the EU says "Er... we don't think you are bright enough to associate the risks of tobacco, with tobacco... IF that tobacco doesn't... uh... taste like tobacco". Yet another insult to the people's intelligence. If you've been following my blog, you know I'm not a fan of flavors... in fact, a tiny selfish part of me (read: my inner douchebag) wants to support this in expectation of all the yummy unflavored snus that would surely be produced to fill the MASSIVE void this would leave in current offerings. But... that damn pesky thing called integrity won't allow me to. The fact is, flavors are popular with the majority, and in this instance... the logic is flawed. Flavors alone do not make tobacco more risky, maybe more accessible to some... so I guess the point is to narrow the audience. That said, I can see merit in the argument that flavors (i.e. strawberry, candy-like, bubblegum etc) might attract kids... but guess what? The government has absolutely no business policing that... it's up to the child's parents/guardians to make sure they don't use tobacco. This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine, people expecting the govt to enact laws so they don't have to parent their children. Let's look at the flip-side of that coin (narrowing the audience)... say a would be ex smoker, that finds unflavored tobacco unpalatable, had a mint snus brand they could tolerate. So... losing that mint brand they opt to go back on the cancer sticks, assuming 99x more risk. Regardless of how you look at it, this point too is supremely insulting, and just plain rubbish.
3.) Tobacco products must contain (at least) 85% tobacco. This one right here... this would be the end of snus as we know it. Because your typical snus is upwards of 50% water. Now, I do get this in regards to cigarettes... where fillers and chemical additives run rampant... but snus? It has absolutely no application, unless they intend to ban... fucking... water.... ehem... fucking... water. *sigh*
I feel for the Europeans (especially the Swedes)... who's freedoms and liberties are being squashed under the heel of a nanny state... I mean, of course I do... I'm a goddamn American, and at this point in the game you'd think we'd invented the shit. But we're all apparently dumbasses, incapable of making such decisions on our own. While I realize that tobacco (more specifically THE SMOKING of tobacco) is a major public health concern... of epic proportions... that needs to be addressed... (read: however misguided, there is some point to all this), but this is the kind of bullshit that happens when you allow a government do our job for us. A solution, a true, PROVEN solution, like the significantly reduced-harm alternative of Swedish Snus, gets fucked over in the name of public health (ironically at the expense of public health). Why? Because the govt has it right... by and large the majority is too fucking stupid to solve their own problems, and instead of letting natural selection (read: Darwinism) cull that dim-witted herd, we end up allowing our governments to protect them (in the name of public interests). The result? The human race fails to evolve... this kind of stupidity is perpetuated... and the thinking, intellectually superior minority (read: me... :P okay, AND my readers) get held down by the masses. A shit state of affairs my friend... shit state indeed.
Lucky for me I've come a long way in my "homemade snus" project in case this does happen... further strengthening my resolve to add growing my own tobacco to my victory garden next year.
For what's it worth, I'll be hoping for the best for my friends in Europe and Sweden... maybe just maybe there are enough enlightened folks with a voice to make a difference for you. We can only hope! Instead of my usual "Happy Snusing", I'm leaving you with... Enjoy it while it lasts! :(
Meh, here's another piece of political satire to help lighten (my obviously shitty) mood.
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