Under 14s in NZ to be banned from ever buying cigarettes in their lifetime

[Shouldiwearmyhairinaponytail]

metro.co.uk/2021/12/09/new-zealand-bans-people-14-and-under-from-ever-buying-cigarettes-15743607/

Thoughts?

South Africa banned the sale of alcohol for the entire nation during the first lockdown so nothing really surprises me anymore.. and the sale of illegal alcohol skyrocketed as did the increase in violent crime related to it.

I assume anyone against this move is also in favour of legalising (and taxing) all drugs?

I can’t wait until smoking is illegal everywhere.

Smoking is vile and smokers don’t give a fuck if you have to wade through their disgusting fumes when they are hanging around doorways.

People spending money on cigarettes provides a good tax revenue. We'd all end up paying more taxes.

Wonderful

Also, how long is it going to be before everyone born before 2007 is dead? 100 years?

This is just a headline grabber, Arden wants to make herself look as if she’s doing the right thing, but the likelihood of this actually coming to fruition and it lasting is 0.

@Octavia174

Brilliant idea, smoking causes so much harm, not only to those who smoke either.

JA is such a leader, inspirational, unlike our PM.

This

Where does the monet from the tax on the cigarettes get made up then?

What about the income related to it. What happens when those who loose a chunk of their sales cant afford to keep their shops open ?

I'm a non-smoker now but did all the smoking on the school bus antics as a 14/15 yr old so know that a determined teenager etc will find a means to get the illegal substance.

But yes it feels a bit over-regulated, despite the good intentions of reducing smoking numbers overall.
Who, pray tell will be policing this - put it on the store owners & fine them when they get it wrong? Many small shops (think dairies, corner shops here) will struggle as tobacco can be the initial reason a customer comes in then buys a pie, a drink, whatever.
It's a long time (lifetime actually) for young Johnny or Marylou to never have free choice over something. Other countries with those types of rules get called undemocratic I expect.

Recent legislation too bans anyone smoking in a vehicle here in NZ - moving or stationary with children in it too.

This PM is not quite as popular here with many particularly with Covid & MIQ facilities & lockdowns around the country. People are angry & frustrated so I think her days of being PM are now being counted down.

I assume anyone against this move is also in favour of legalising (and taxing) all drugs? it’s not about being against it, it’s about being realistic.

IMO smoking is a vile habit and I would love for it to not exist.

But it’s a fact that we make a huge amount of tax from smoking, far more than costs the country in treating smoking-related illness. Where is that shortfall going to be made up from? Are people prepared to pay higher income taxes to make up the shortfall?

Also, this law proposes that it will be banned for under 14’s. Given many people live into their 80’s and 90’s smoking won’t be banned altogether until the 22nd century. Banning under 14’s isn’t going to make smoking less of a scourge, the smokers, most of who are over the age of 50 or so, are going to continue to be around for the next 50 years or so.

So in truth this is just a statement, “let’s ban cigarettes being sold to under 14’s, and eventually no-one will be able to buy them ever.” Except that by the time that “one day” arrives Arden and all her followers will be long dead.

Great idea. To be fair I don’t know anyone that smokes anymore. It’s become socially unacceptable amongst all my friends.

I just don't see how this is really going to work by banning it for just part of the population. It's pretty easy to distinguish beetween a 14 year old and a 20 year old now, but what about when they are 30 and 36? Will they have to show ID for all cigarette purchases now? Will that really be upheld?

I will watch with interest how it pans out.

I think NZ is pretty regressive. Yet... people seem to like to be controlled. Lots of people were perfectly happy under Saddam Hussain, lots of people are perfectly happy living good lives in China, I bet there are people in North Korea who are very happy with the status quo. I see on these pages all the time the amount of people perfectly happy with their freedoms being eroded in the name of 'protection'. I feel like shouting 'wake the fuck up' to a bunch of frogs who are very happy with the warm water in the pot

And from what I’ve read and from people I know over there JA’s popularity is fast diminishing.

“Ahead in the poles” means nothing. So is Boris Johnson, and yet…..

Sounds good to me.
Not much you can do for those who are already addicted to a legal substance but doing whatever you can to stop future generations becoming addicted by ultimately making it illegal sounds wonderful.

If cigarettes were invented today absolutely no way would they be approved for sale.

A yes creating an illegal trade in tobacco that’s a brilliant idea.

Tobacco products are pretty unfashionable amongst young people now anyway.

This will end the same way as weed, where it doesn’t actually stop anyone smoking it it just creates an exploitative and dangerous trade.

It also means there’s no regulation so they can put whatever they want into the cigarettes.
No taxation either.

Stupid idea.

Legalise, regulate, tax, make advertising illegal, put everything in the plainest packaging possible and the invest in rehabilitation and community level support.

This is just Willy waving for headlines.

I have a lot of family in NZ. Apparently cigarettes are expensive as they’ve been really heavily regulated - in some parts of the country it can be cheaper to fund an alcohol or drug habit and that’s what happens. Huge segments of the rural population have massive drink problems but instead of restricting alcohol availability they’re going after headlines.

@LadyCampanulaTottington

I can’t wait until smoking is illegal everywhere.

Smoking is vile and smokers don’t give a fuck if you have to wade through their disgusting fumes when they are hanging around doorways.

This. Especially when you're waiting outside of a shop with your baby, while your husband is buying something (because baby hates shops and will scream bloody murder inside). And someone stops just a couple of meters from you and lights up a cigarette.

Brilliant idea. I have a 13yo. I wish we had the same here.

Absolutely fantastic. Hope the rest of the world follows suit.

That is such a great idea. I look forward to a world without smoking. It doesn't benefit anyone, a drain on the health services and tobacco companies test on animals. Would be wonderful not to have to breathe in other people's smoke, to be able to dine outdoors in summer in what the maker's consider 'their area'. I hope we all follow suit.

@Shouldiwearmyhairinaponytail

metro.co.uk/2021/12/09/new-zealand-bans-people-14-and-under-from-ever-buying-cigarettes-15743607/

Thoughts?

thoughts?

what are yours?

I think it's great.

Someone thinking about the health of the nation rather than tax dollars.

Virtually everyone will know someone a year older than them, and so while people may not physically be able to buy cigarettes, nobody will actually be able to be prevented from smoking them.

And again, it won’t be happening for another hundred years or so.

Imagine being a 30 year old in 2038 and you can't even have a fag, as a responsible adult, because the government said so...

It's ridiculous honestly, adults have capacity they can make wise and unwise choices as they wish. They don't need a nanny state.

All it wil do is start an illegal unregulated trade. You'll have cigarettes laced with God knows what.

Or as it's only illegal to buy them, everyone will just have a mate born in 2007 who will buy them and give them or exploit people to give them their cigarettes.

Other things that are banned weed, crack cocaine, heroine still a billion pound industry for those running it, at a massive price to the tax payers and the lives of those involved in the drugs trade.