New Zealand scraps world-first smoking ‘generation ban’ to fund tax cuts
New Zealand scraps world-first smoking ‘generation ban’ to fund tax cuts
Health experts say axing plan to block sales of tobacco products to next generation will cost thousands of lives
Health experts say axing plan to block sales of tobacco products to next generation will cost thousands of lives
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Smoking is awful, disgusting, and through the diseases it causes puts a massive burden on the healthcare system... buuuut, educational campaigns to encourage people to stop and limiting it in media/banning advertisements is definitely the way to go over yet another prohibition law.
I think governments should always ban everything they don't like. Next up: alcohol, candy and snacks. Then maybe bars, motor sports and sex for unmarried people.
educational campaigns to encourage people to stop and limiting it in media/banning advertisements is definitely the way to go
I don't really understand why you think New Zealand hasn't already done that. It banned all tobacco advertising decades ago. Including shops have to keep them out of sight and no signs.
Starting from the 1990s tobacco had to have gruesome pictures of diseased lungs, rotting diabetic toes, etc all over it, and health warnings.
Then they banned companies from using their own fonts, colours or logos and standardised it. Then they made the warnings take up all the pack.
Modern tobacco packs in New Zealand look like this and costs two hours' wages for just one packet.
There are gruesome PSAs about it as well.
Unfortunately it's highly addictive and it kills people.
I literally never said they didn't so please don't put words in my mouth. Those measures are working, and legislative overreach into people's personal lives isn't the answer.
"yet another prohibition"
another American projecting their domestic nonsense onto the rest of the world
Most drugs are prohibited in most countries, throughout most of history.
You're thinking specifically of American alcohol prohibition in the 1920s. It is you who is projecting americanism.
But, but... Tax cuts for the rich!? 😢
Education means doing nothing. It literally is the status quo which we know does not work.
Except those measures already cut the smoking rate in half (or better depending on the demographic), and it continues to fall so it clearly is working. Legislative overreach to control people's personal choices is what doesn't work.
