December 20, 2012 | Ling

Few of us look at a jar of rat poison and think, ‘Mmm, tasty.’ So why should we think cigarettes are good things to pop in our mouths?

Probably because tobacco doesn’t taste or look as nasty as it really is. That’s why the EU wants to ban strong cigarette flavourings that mask their foul taste. The use of words such as ‘light’ and ‘mild’ will also go, and 75% of cigarette packaging will be covered by health warnings.

It’s amazing how advertising has inured smokers to the long-term health risks of their habit, and I’m glad legislators are now turning back the tide.