Oh the irony

I admit, I'm often seen huddling outside of my work with like-minded individuals, puffing away, socialising and enjying a well deserved break from my desk and never ending stream of emails and work. I'm a light smoker, throw your stones if you must - I enjoy it, and it brings me together with fellow second-class citizens of this fair 'nanny state'. I was once your fully fledged pack-a day (or close to) smoker, however have now reformed to only indulging once or twice at work, and perhaps with a glass of wine.

I would like to extend a big "Thanks Kev", I never voted for you - yet I, as a healthy light smoker, who pays for their own health insurance, frequents the gym 5 times a week and never eats fast food, I am being punished by your ill-thought out, somewhat facist and damn right illegal anti smoking measures for "the health of working Australian families".

I earn quite a good salary, and being a single gay male, enjoy quite a high disposable income - so the 2.16 a pack tax hike won't really affect me too much, however I find the plain packaging proposal extremley disturbing.

It's rather hypocritical, and even illegal (perhaps), that the Government remove a companies ability to comminucate its product with the consumer, when the alcohol industry can freeley and agrresivley market their product to whoever they god damn please. Be it juveniles, car enthusiasts and so on.

Having a brand name and logo on a product is not advertising, it's not "enticing kids to smoke", it is telling the consumer what they are buying. The Government has gone far enough with tobacco control in Australia, and is now trying to impose illegal sanctions on a companies property rights. The tobacco industry is looking at filing a lawsuit, and I hope they do - and win. This is morally wrong.

As is, a cigarette pack is over 50% covered in health warnings and pictures of cancerous body parts etc (most of which aren't even of smokers). The government has now crossed the line and stepping in immoral and dangerous territory.

Smokers have been picked on enough. Australia has the world's lowest smoking rates at 17% of the population over 14 years of age, yet we're the fattest nation in the world per capita ( that's right - Australia is now fatter than the US).

So, theres me - a light smoker who smokes maybe 2 a day on average, NEVER eats fast food, hardly drinks anymore and frequents the gym 5x a week. Then there is the typical Australian of 2010 - most likley obese, non-smoker, drinker, doesn't excercise and enjoys a Quarter Pounder after a long day sitting at a desk.

I'm the unhealthy one, the burden on the health system? Riiiight.

Tax the fat bastards I say! It can be called the BLT - Biggest Loser Tax.