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?

Wow that's really interesting....I don't know what to think. I know you can't smoke in moderation, but really, there's no amount of alcohol that's actually beneficial for you either....I know wine has antioxidants etc but you can get antioxidants other places. I'm not sure any amount of refined sugar is good for you either (willing to be corrected on that). So indeed - where does it end? On the surface it seems like a good thing but the implications are major.

Someone thinking about the health of the nation rather than tax dollars. bollocks. The health of the nation isn’t going to be impacted by this. Not for decades.

She’s thinking “what can I do that keeps me in the headlines.” It’s a platitude. That’s all.

Seems a good idea to me stop people starting

@Octavia174

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

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

Yeah, really inspirational to allow men to self identify as women in a country where 1 in 3 women is a victim of domestic abuse.

She's good at keeping the middle classes happy, I'll give her that.

Terrible idea. Will just criminalise it. Progressive would be to legalise all drugs and use the funds raised through taxes to tackle the underlying causes of addiction.

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. and what other industries will the illegal tobacco trade fuel? Prostitution? Trafficking? We all know what else is funded by the drugs trade, by adding tobacco you’re essentially making it part of the drugs trade and everything that represents.

@daisydaisy11

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.

As cigarettes are cheaper than inhalers in many countries, poor asthmatic children get put on them by their doctors as it can still provide a valuable short term benefit (but obvs long term issues) for serious forms. This is actually how a lot of Asian and African people begin their smoking habits. So until the price of essential medicines reduces the world will never be rid of smoking.

@Shouldiwearmyhairinaponytail

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

Thoughts?

I think they should introduce an NHS surgcharge for anyone who smokes. Also passports for smokers that keeps them out of certain venues unless they can prove they haven't smoked for at least a week.

I think banning smoking for teenagers is great idea, alcohol is banned in this country for u18's

It's notnjust banning smoking for teenagers though, it's banning smoking, or being able to buy cigarettes for anyone born after a certain date, so those born after that date will never be able to buy cigarettes.

I think the level of control that governments think they can have over people is quite scary.

What about schizophrenics? About 90% of schizophrenics smoke, something in the schizophrenic brain seems to need nicotine. It's not actually true that smoking doesn't benefit anyone. It quite clearly has beneficial neurological effects for a minority of the population and I think they should be allowed to make that cost-benefit calculation for themselves.

@Clymene

To be fair its also 1 in 3 in the UK and men can self ID as women here too.

I think the level of control that governments think they can have over people is quite scary.

And then you look at some of the answers on this thread and realise that people are very happy to be controlled - or rather, to have other people controlled for things that they don't personally like.

I stopped smoking years ago but for some reason just reading this story makes me crave a fag.

@AlternativePerspective In terms of vaping they said that the strategy is that vaping replaces cigarettes so I don’t think they’ll ban vaping

@Thatsplentyjack

I think banning smoking for teenagers is great idea, alcohol is banned in this country for u18's

It's notnjust banning smoking for teenagers though, it's banning smoking, or being able to buy cigarettes for anyone born after a certain date, so those born after that date will never be able to buy cigarettes.

I think the level of control that governments think they can have over people is quite scary.

I'm not allowed to buy Cannabis, Drink Drive, Drive over 70 mph, i can't even have a smoke with my meal in a pub.

Do you think that is a level of control over my life that Governments shouldn't have?

Smoking damages other people who do not smoke, especially children.

Also passports for smokers that keeps them out of certain venues unless they can prove they haven't smoked for at least a week.

Jesus, we will need passports for breathing soon.

I find it rather interesting that people seem to think that JA is such an inspiration for having curtailed the freedom of an entire country for the past almost two years and yet those same people seem to be up in arms when the government here suggest they should wear a mask in shops.

It’s easy to applaud the rules someone else makes when you’re not the ones being forced to follow them.

@Enb76

Because banning stuff works so well.

Prohibition works
War on drugs etc...

This is a terrible thing - the only thing that banning stuff does is lead to criminality. Banning something gives it a power it would not otherwise have.

Banning smoking from public places worked very well actually.

People can still have nicotine - just not smoke cigarettes.

I don’t believe in criminalising drugs though - however would be happy for positive mind altering drugs to be legal and cigarettes to be illegal as cigarettes don’t get you high and are just massively addictive and harmful vs MDMA or weed.

However I disagree with banning cigarettes as think it is too much control, and rates of smoking among teenagers have already plummeted - why bother banning it? Just educate, as that’s working well.

@allmywhat

What about schizophrenics? About 90% of schizophrenics smoke, something in the schizophrenic brain seems to need nicotine. It's not actually true that smoking doesn't benefit anyone. It quite clearly has beneficial neurological effects for a minority of the population and I think they should be allowed to make that cost-benefit calculation for themselves.

There are other ways to take nicotine if this is really true.

Smoking damages other people who do not smoke, especially children.

So ban smoking around children.

I wonder if so many people on here would be advocating this if the ban was purchasing alcohol. Probably not.

@LarryTheLurker

Ardern is a fanatic who wants to impose her own values on the people of NZ regardless of what they want.

She has been a disaster and will be gone soon.

Completely agree.

@AlternativePerspective

Someone thinking about the health of the nation rather than tax dollars. bollocks. The health of the nation isn’t going to be impacted by this. Not for decades.

She’s thinking “what can I do that keeps me in the headlines.” It’s a platitude. That’s all.

NZ has some appalling health inequalities. If Jacinda Ardern was truly thinking about the health of the nation, she would have done so much more to address these issues long ago.

Seems like a good idea to me.

And to worry that it will spread to junk food, which doesn’t even have an age limit on it is a stretch I think.
Even alcohol is talked about in very different terms, health messages are to stop smoking, but reduce drinking. There aren’t massive campaigns for the average drinker to stop completely.

@Thatsplentyjack

Smoking damages other people who do not smoke, especially children.

So ban smoking around children.

I wonder if so many people on here would be advocating this if the ban was purchasing alcohol. Probably not.

I really hope that is the next step. Think how much better the world would be. Boris wouldn't be having to defend his mates stupid parties without alcohol and would be a much nicer person to be around.