To think NZ’s plans to make it illegal to sell cigarettes to anyone born after 2004 are a bit draconian?

[CounsellorTroi]

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/16/new-zealand-aims-to-create-smoke-free-generation-cigarettes

I’ve never smoked (well, had a drag of my friend’s fag at 15, didn’t like it so didn’t do it again) but I can’t help feeling that making it illegal to smoke anywhere other than in your own home would suffice.

I think it’s brilliant. Over time there won’t be anyone left for whom it is legal to sell cigarettes to. The industry will die but slowly. No one has their liberties affected who already chooses to smoke. Lives will be saved. I think it is genius.

No. I think we'll go the same way eventually and cigarettes will be harder to buy and as the older smokers die it'll be phased out. Give it 100 years and only small numbers will smoke I reckon.

I think it's a good idea. All countries should do this

I don't know what NZ is like, but over here it's quite easy to buy tobacco 'under the counter'. I would imagine if it's banned for under-18s it may boost an illegal market. There's a thriving global market for illegal drugs and if tobacco is outlawed it will just be another one on the list.

I think generally tobacco is scapegoated. It only harms its consumer - no one beats their partner up because they've smoked too much or goes on a tobacco-fuelled bender. Are they going to ban fast food and sugary drinks as well? What about cars - RTAs account for a high number of deaths?

It will just make the black market cigarette trade boom. Making drugs illegal hasn't eliminated drugs nor did prohibition stop people drinking. If people want them they will get them.

YABU. It’s a great idea (a little light I think personally - we should just making smoking illegal and stop them cold turkey, tough shit).

In principal I like the idea, but sadly, I think romdowa is right. The police have enough on their plate without having to deal with illegal smokers as well.

Alcohol will be mext, won't it

So as we crack down on nicotine and alcohol probably next we start legalising weed. I like all three but weed has a bundle of potential mental health issues. Have a look at some of the stats from CO re gun use.

It's a brilliant idea. There will now be no new smokers coming into the market and as the existing smoker base literally dies off the whole thing will die out.
In fact as the smoker base decreases it will be less and less profitable for shops to stock them and they should be harder and harder to come by and progressively less and less visible as a thing

As an ex smoker I’ve often thought this is the solution, will be interesting to see how it plays out in NZ and whether other countries follow suit.

Tobacco does harm others through passive smoking. Plus tobacco's not really that fun like drugs/booze so there's a chance it'll work. I smoked for years by the way. It's something that starts as a social thing and is a completely meritless addiction - by which I mean it doesn't block out sorrow or give nice feelings - by the end in my view.

I smoke, I am starting at 47 to feel the damage. I am desperately trying to stop. I think it's a brilliant idea. I think alcohol should be taken more seriously as well, in terms of DV and the damage it does to people around them.

Do people really think making something illegal will stop people doing it?

It's brilliant. This has been talked about in NZ for years and I'm delighted it's finally happened.

@MaxNormal

Do people really think making something illegal will stop people doing it?

Exactly. I started smoking under 18. Many if us did and we all managed to buy ciggies.

Not like coke or E are not being used here even though it's illegal🤷🏻 Or weed

I think it might work because they're making it illegal to sell it not do it. There are plenty of rules about selling already so you can just tack it on to the enforcement for that.

I smoke far far far less when I am in the UK.. Too bloody cold to go outside and the stink of a recently smoked fag when people come back inside puts me off doing it. I was furious when they banned smoking indoors but totally respect it now.

Why is everyone on here so keen to tell others what to do? As a pp said, where does it end? Sugary drinks? Fatty foods? Anything bad for us?

And as well as the erosion of personal liberty (and yes, I get that some things we choose to do are bad), it will surely just become another illegal drug which people get hold of, but without the government taxing it.

Imagine the tax hole if this was done in the UK. What are income taxes in NZ like?

Not keen to tell everyone what to do. But if you can stop corporates making big bucks out of others' deathly addictions by stopping people needing to do something I'm all for it. I don't know if it will work but it's worth a try.

Eat what you like. That doesn’t affect me. Your smoking does

It's a brilliant idea, but my liberal self says it's also draconian

@emilyfrost

YABU. It’s a great idea (a little light I think personally - we should just making smoking illegal and stop them cold turkey, tough shit).

Yeah great idea, let's just withdraw an addictive substance from millions of people simultaneously. What could possibly go wrong?!