This is how bad things have got in my country.
A new law came into effect yesterday forbidding tobacco products from being displayed in shops. All cigarettes, cigars and tobacco must now be locked in cabinets.
I went into the best shop in town for pipes and accessories during my visit to the city today, and I tried to enquire about prices for some of the blends I was considering trying. I was told that my questions could not be answered. All I could do was ask for a product, and I would be sold it. Shops are allowed to have a pricelist they can show customers, but they can't give any advice, and this shop did not yet have a list ready yet. (The owner was away. She knows me, so we would have probably found a solution within the law if she had been there, even if it had meant her writing a makeshift pricelist. But I digress.) The person looking after the shop told me she risked a $10,000 fine if she breached these draconian restrictions.
The only other reasonably stocked tobacconist in the inner city had prepared pricelists for cigarettes and cigars, but had not yet prepared one for pipe tobacco.
I left in total confusion without buying anything. I was on my way to a job interview and I didn't want to stress myself.
I have not had a smoke for about a month and I was really looking forward to having one tomorrow. It looks like it might have to be a tin of Erinmore Mixture from a local convenience store after all.
This is what the war on smokers has become.
As I remarked to the second tobacconist, buying tobacco has become like buying pornography.
Next on the agenda for us is plain packaging. Presumably, a description of the contents of a blend will not be allowed.
You have all been warned.
A new law came into effect yesterday forbidding tobacco products from being displayed in shops. All cigarettes, cigars and tobacco must now be locked in cabinets.
I went into the best shop in town for pipes and accessories during my visit to the city today, and I tried to enquire about prices for some of the blends I was considering trying. I was told that my questions could not be answered. All I could do was ask for a product, and I would be sold it. Shops are allowed to have a pricelist they can show customers, but they can't give any advice, and this shop did not yet have a list ready yet. (The owner was away. She knows me, so we would have probably found a solution within the law if she had been there, even if it had meant her writing a makeshift pricelist. But I digress.) The person looking after the shop told me she risked a $10,000 fine if she breached these draconian restrictions.
The only other reasonably stocked tobacconist in the inner city had prepared pricelists for cigarettes and cigars, but had not yet prepared one for pipe tobacco.
I left in total confusion without buying anything. I was on my way to a job interview and I didn't want to stress myself.
I have not had a smoke for about a month and I was really looking forward to having one tomorrow. It looks like it might have to be a tin of Erinmore Mixture from a local convenience store after all.
This is what the war on smokers has become.
As I remarked to the second tobacconist, buying tobacco has become like buying pornography.
Next on the agenda for us is plain packaging. Presumably, a description of the contents of a blend will not be allowed.
You have all been warned.