It is easy to understand why New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma has proposed legislation to force cigarette sales underground. His government is so on the nose with voters that anything to draw attention away from the mess is welcome.
There is one positive outcome. Few would disagree with legislation to ban adults smoking in cars in which children under sixteen are also passengers.
The proposal to make tobacco invisible in shops is argumentative. Tobacco is a legal product and a lot of people - farmers who grow the plant in Australia - and shopkeepers who derive profit from it's sale - will be inconvenienced.
The plan may marginally decrease smoking but it is unlikely that the absence of the product from display will stop young people taking up the habit. On the contrary - if something is partially banned it will have more attraction to rebellious youth - as is evidenced by their fascination with marijuana.
At least this will be an incremental plan. Tobacco products will fade from sight over four years - if the legislation survives it's passage through parliament in the months ahead. It will gradually disappear under the counter - with a similarity to condoms back in the 1950's - when they were illegal to advertise or display - were a chemist's only product - and had to be specifically asked for under their quaint description as " French Letters ".
This legislation will certainly cause merchants cost and inconvenience - but at least it will allow embattled Premier Iemma to crow that at long last he has managed to to do something that he considers " positive ".
Whether the public will agree is another matter !
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