What does the English "Smoke Free Target of 2030" Mean?

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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
If I understand correctly, in seven years the UK government plans to reduce smoking down to 5% from 15% of the population.

Since about 90% of current smokers are cigarette smokers, and maybe 8% are cigar smokers, that leaves about 2% pipe smokers. That would leave pipe smokers at a fraction of one percent of the total population, if my meagre math is correct. Doesn't look like much of a target to me, though all of the tobacco taxes and public shaming may take their toll.

Sir Winston would not be pleased, dusting his cigar ash as he went. Most of us will be around in seven years if we're lucky, so we'll see what happens.
 

gawithhoggarth

Can't Leave
Dec 26, 2019
324
2,222
46
Kendal, UK
www.gawithhoggarth.co.uk
British American Tobacco company is still going strong, just sayin!

If anything ever happens to Sam Gawith …. 😢
Well something happened to Sam Gawith many years ago!!!
Not sure British American Tobacco is actually that British. Its headquarters are in London but it began as a partnership between Imperial (British) and American Tobacco Company as a way too not trade in each other's territories. So essentially it did not trade in the UK. It began and aways was more for other countries. Besides which they are mostly cigarettes and the large tobacco multi-nationals are concentrating on heat-not-burn tobacco products and technology and not really interested in pipe tobacco.
Interesting history, just gone around buying up different cigarette companies across the world., awful lot of law suits, dodgy promotional and marketing campaigns especially in poor third world countries.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,817
29,660
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
nothing we can actually predict accurately. First it isn't entirely up to them at the end of the day. Second things change and not in a way that always is predictable. And as I've said many times disinterest is a bigger threat then any government body or decision ever could be. I try to get too preachy here (trust me I can get preachy if I feel like it), but I think being out and proud about our pipe smoking is important. It's amazing how many people who say something to me about it talk about cigs always seemed gross but the pipe is cool and just seems different. Not saying we have to proselytize but also don't act like it's smoking crack and you have to hide in your basement or something.
I was going to say about the same thing. Except to say a lot can change in a few years. Still going to bang the drum of our biggest enemy is not being seen.
 

OverMountain

Lifer
Dec 5, 2021
1,318
4,782
Western Caccalack Hinterlands
Well something happened to Sam Gawith many years ago!!!
Not sure British American Tobacco is actually that British. Its headquarters are in London but it began as a partnership between Imperial (British) and American Tobacco Company as a way too not trade in each other's territories. So essentially it did not trade in the UK. It began and aways was more for other countries. Besides which they are mostly cigarettes and the large tobacco multi-nationals are concentrating on heat-not-burn tobacco products and technology and not really interested in pipe tobacco.
Interesting history, just gone around buying up different cigarette companies across the world., awful lot of law suits, dodgy promotional and marketing campaigns especially in poor third world countries.
They recently got a huge fine for selling in North Korea.
 

Zamora

Can't Leave
Mar 15, 2023
378
987
Olympia, Washington
Well something happened to Sam Gawith many years ago!!!
Not sure British American Tobacco is actually that British. Its headquarters are in London but it began as a partnership between Imperial (British) and American Tobacco Company as a way too not trade in each other's territories. So essentially it did not trade in the UK. It began and aways was more for other countries. Besides which they are mostly cigarettes and the large tobacco multi-nationals are concentrating on heat-not-burn tobacco products and technology and not really interested in pipe tobacco.
Interesting history, just gone around buying up different cigarette companies across the world., awful lot of law suits, dodgy promotional and marketing campaigns especially in poor third world countries.
Yeah Big Tobacco has been totally divested from pipe tobacco and cigars for decades, unless you lump Scandinavian Tobacco, Swedish Match, Altadis, and General Cigar in with them. Prince Albert was orignally an RJ Reynolds product and Revelation was from Philip Morris, but they shifted hands decades ago. Yet the anti smoking crowd is all too happy to lump pipes and cigars with Big Tobacco
 
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RookieGuy80

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 6, 2023
508
1,267
Maryland, United States
I agree that cigars and pipe tobacco will get lumped into cigarettes. But I see lots of smaller local jurisdictions carving out exceptions for cigars. The wealthy and elite still enjoy their cigars, so while they might get more expensive and/ or harder to find, I think cigars will never go away completely. Tobacco in general? Well, as we in the US have seen, it's hard to stop a plant from growing. And it's just a hard to stop people who want those plants from getting them.
 
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mike wheelock

Lurker
Mar 13, 2022
26
51
74
eastern washington
first of all dont believe what the mass media has to say on any given day or any given topic. we are learning this the hard way here in the good old us of a. having said that, keep these things in the back of your mind. never dismiss what they say out of hand. read between the lines...remember lies are hidden between two truths. trust no one especially politicians who for the most part are only interested in getting reelected next election. we the people are only a number to them. prohibition of alcohol backfired way back when and if prohibition of tobacco comes about i believe it will also backfire. so.....buy, buy, buy and cellar your beloved pipe tobacco. they can only keep good people down for so long. good luck to you and your fellow smokers across the pond.
 

gawithhoggarth

Can't Leave
Dec 26, 2019
324
2,222
46
Kendal, UK
www.gawithhoggarth.co.uk
I did not say the Smoke Free target will be met. That is highly unlikely given the timescales but through constantly putting up taxes and free vape clinics they bring the number of reported smokers down (but have no idea of elicit trade). It is not in question that the number of cigarette smokers is declining and has steeply declined over the last few decades with higher taxes, advertising and promotion bans, plain packaging, no smoking in public areas. There will continue to be a push against smoking (cigarettes targeted). New regulations such as track and trace, new security stamp features etc will continue to make it harder and harder for manufacturers and retailers of tobacco products in general. And to reach their target they only need a decrease of a few percent anyway.
 

OverMountain

Lifer
Dec 5, 2021
1,318
4,782
Western Caccalack Hinterlands
I did not say the Smoke Free target will be met. That is highly unlikely given the timescales but through constantly putting up taxes and free vape clinics they bring the number of reported smokers down (but have no idea of elicit trade). It is not in question that the number of cigarette smokers is declining and has steeply declined over the last few decades with higher taxes, advertising and promotion bans, plain packaging, no smoking in public areas. There will continue to be a push against smoking (cigarettes targeted). New regulations such as track and trace, new security stamp features etc will continue to make it harder and harder for manufacturers and retailers of tobacco products in general. And to reach their target they only need a decrease of a few percent anyway.
I am of course highly partial to your historic company, but it boggles my mind that in the EU/UK your longstanding companies are not seen as some sort of cultural heritage industry producing natural and globally unique tobaccos that have been made and enjoyed for hundreds of years.

What SG/GH makes is unique in the entire global market, rich in history and tradition, and undoubtedly brings tourists and partakers alike to the Lakeland district.

Lakeland tobacco should be supported as a modern day cultural heritage product of the British isles, and pipe smoking viewed as a minimal harm product far better than the chemically lined vapes that are a poor replacement.