New Zealand Smoking Ban

[Banchory Buddha]

I've been vociferously anti-smoking since back in the day, my 6 month old daughter (who'd just been out of a bath) came out of my in-laws house absolutely stinking of fags, from that day on I was a zealot.

However a thread on twitter has me thinking, quoted below.....



New Zealand is effectively banning smoking, young people will never be allowed to buy them. On the surface - like many ideas - I think this is good. Smoking is bad, it leads to horrible diseases in many people. We should be rid of it, right?

But then I think, what else is bad for us? In the UK alcohol causes far more problems than smoking in terms of health and societal effects. We should probably ban that too.

Junk food and food items which are heavy in sugar, salt and fat? Obesity is a growing problem with all the health effects that come with it. Probably best to ban all that too. Maybe we could tell people what healthy foods we can eat?

And while we're at it how do we make sure people don't spend money on things which aren't good for them? Well, a digital currency would be good. That way we can program what it can be spent on. Think of the possibilities of keeping people healthy and well!

Cars? Don't need them do we? Polluting nasty things. Move to electric vehicles and price poor people out of car ownership. They can get the bus and walking will be good for them. We could also do with a means of tracking where people go as well. An ID card would be good.

And best of all, best of ALL! We can hand complete control over what we eat, where we travel, and how we spend our money over to people we all trust implicitly, politicians! This is a win/win guys. The new normal. Build back better. Sleep.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It is an interesting one. Fair play to New Zealand for going for it.

In terms of the counter argument, tough .

 

[DanFST]

Just out of a 107 day lockdown and now this.


Absolutely mad.

 

[BiMGuy]

??

 

[Orikoru]

I'm stunned at this story to be honest. People think it will never happen in the UK due to the government making so much off taxing them. I've never smoked in my life so it doesn't affect me really, I'd be quite happy if they were banned as I hate the smell. But as I say, I can't see it happening.

 

[cliveb]

Back when all the Covid lockdowns were in place, it did occur to me that if the government was prepared to restrict people's liberty to save thousands of lives, then why not also ban smoking?

The loss of tax revenue argument doesn't hold water - smoking costs the NHS far more than the tax that's raised.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Growing up in the early 80's I remember pubs full of smoke, kids coming out of school lighting up, family parties where smokers lit up without a thought. Smoking was rife. Now, smokers are so much more rare. If I see someone walking down the street smoking it surpises me now, it jars. The numbers smoking must be massively down, the cost as much as anything, and year on year it will keep reducing. I'm sure plenty on here can remember people who talk about being '20 a day' or '40 a day' etc. Are there people below 30 who still smoke that way? Surely not.

Will smoking simply not decline and decline or am I just lucky in that I don't mix with people who smoke, don't live somewhere where people are big smokers etc? Is smoking still popular out there?

 

[GB72]

One of the few sensible ways I have seen of ending smoking. Not sure how to make it work in practice but to draw a line when a certain generation will be the last one allowed to smoke seems like a decent solution.

The only counter argument I can see is the uses of the black market and criminalising the sale of cigarettes but then again, those people that it impacts should never have been allowed to smoke so should not have addiction issues. It could, however, lead to simply another class C drug that people buy illegally and fund organised crime.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Will smoking simply not decline and decline or am I just lucky in that I don't mix with people who smoke, don't live somewhere where people are big smokers etc? Is smoking still popular out there?

I think it will, the cost above anything is killing it, the remaining smokers are largely those who can't quit, you see very few youngsters now with a fag in hand

 

[BiMGuy]

One of the few sensible ways I have seen of ending smoking. Not sure how to make it work in practice but to draw a line when a certain generation will be the last one allowed to smoke seems like a decent solution.

The only counter argument I can see is the uses of the black market and criminalising the sale of cigarettes but then again, those people that it impacts should never have been allowed to smoke so should not have addiction issues. It could, however, lead to simply another class C drug that people buy illegally and fund organised crime.

It will be hard to smuggle them in to NZ in large enough quantities if they remain closed.

But yes, as much as I would like to see a ban on smoking. It will just become another revenue stream for organised crime.

 

[SocketRocket]

I am led to believe a lot of cigarettes are black market now. When you see the cost of smoking it does make you wonder how many people can afford them.

 

[backwoodsman]

Interesting stats in attached
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...lletins/adultsmokinghabitsingreatbritain/2019
A bit sad that, generally, more younger folk (percentage-wise) are smoking than older generations; "manual workers" smoke a lot more than "professional workers" and "uneducated" people smoke more than "educated". I think we've a long way to go yet to wean people off them. But I doubt an outright ban will be the way to do it.

 

[Ethan]

Disgusting and lethal habit which should be banned. I have heard a lot of people regret ever starting, but only when it was too late.

 

[VVega]

I've never smoked in my life so it doesn't affect me really.

Except it’s costing to tax payers quite a bit to treat on the NHS all effects of smoking.

 

[jim8flog]

Given that in tis country the age at which you can legally buy cigarettes is 18 and how often you see under 18s smoking I cannot see how stopping 'younger' people actually works.

I stopped around the age of 30 but look back and do not regret starting as it was so much part of my social/life circle back then. Both my brother and sister were non smokers and they had very different social lives to me.

 

[jim8flog]

I am led to believe a lot of cigarettes are black market now. When you see the cost of smoking it does make you wonder how many people can afford them.

Most of the younger people who smoke that I have known through my daughter smoke roll ups based upon cost.

 

[Jamesbrown]

Should ban talking about it as I’d love an embassy number 5 about now, or a smooth dunhill.

I’m still partial to a cigar now and then. If anybody is popping to the Caribbean pick me some Romeo y Julietas up.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

At this time of year as well, 'Holy Smoke'