Wednesday, May 10, 2006
I'd Rather Live In Denial
Cigarette packages in New Zealand could soon carry graphic images intended to reduce cigarette smoking:
I'm concerned. No, I don't plan to visit New Zealand anytime soon, and I don't smoke anyway. But I certainly hope this trend doesn't spread here to Israel. I'm sure it would be hard to contain this health-and-goodness-promoting trend to just cigarettes. Can you imagine:
I only function in life with a carefully calibrated mixture of denial and common sense -- too much information inundation like this could throw me way off balance.
If you really, really liked this -- or even really, really hated it -- there's lots more:
Grotesque images of gangrenous feet, rotting gums and teeth, and throat cancer on cigarette packets is an option the Government is considering in an effort to reduce smoking.
I'm concerned. No, I don't plan to visit New Zealand anytime soon, and I don't smoke anyway. But I certainly hope this trend doesn't spread here to Israel. I'm sure it would be hard to contain this health-and-goodness-promoting trend to just cigarettes. Can you imagine:
- ice cream lids showing pictures of quivering piles of liposuction leftovers?
- wine bottles with disheveled, unwashed men lying in pools of their own excretions?
- packages of disposable diapers showing steaming mounds of landfill turning the countryside into a giant toilet?
- boxes of Shabbat candles with pictures of smoking, burned out houses?
- television set packaging with images of zombie-eyed children and super-sized parents zoned out on a couch?
- roller blades and skateboards with stickers showing graphic images of compound fractures and broken skulls?
- bottles of cleaning products depicting choking, gagging people who should have known better than to swallow poison?
- boxes of sandwich bags showing images of helpless squirrels and chipmunks trapped and suffocating in carelessly discarded litter?
- fast food hamburger wrappers depicting open-heart surgery in progress?
I only function in life with a carefully calibrated mixture of denial and common sense -- too much information inundation like this could throw me way off balance.
