Smoking

[Levin]

My question is this, do you support the outright banning of smoking. I saw this on the news tonight, the Maori party want to make it illegal to sell tobacco or smoke anywhere in NZ. What do you think? Personally I think it would be great to get rid of it, costs us tax payers about 250 million a year in health treatment costs.

Tom

[Cahuna]

No.

Personally it isn't my cup of tea and I hate being around other people who do smoke but at the end of the day I'm pro-choice. I respect other peoples rights to do what they like (within the law) as long as they respect my right to not be affected by their actions. So I think they should be able to smoke wherever they like just as long as they respect my right to not get smothered in smoke.

Besides which, can you imagine the black market that would spring up if 600,000 or so smokers (or whatever the figure is in NZ) were no longer able to get their fix legally? All the more power to the gangs. And think of the lost tax revenue going to the government which is currently being used to help pay for smokers healthcare.

[Adamal]

As Cahuna has said... It would be a loss of revenue for the government. A huge loss. Which I doubt the Maori party is seeing any of anyway

[Carpet Burn]

Least then my mum would HAVE to quit!! Would be great, but the govt would have to pay to help ALOT of people give up.

[geishaboy]

Ohh yeah, great freaking idea

While we are at it, why don't we just ban Alcohol too, the deaths caused by drink driving and alcoholism are in the greater numbers, in fact, why don't we put a bann on cars, people drive them too fast and get killed along with emissions killing the ozone layer and enviroment

Cellphones have to go, they cause brain cancer and give teens the thumb joints of an 80 year old, let's not forget fast food, as it is terribly bad for you and makes you obese

Sex - thats out the window, too many people getting FULL BLOWN AIDS around the place, and unwanted babies cost the tax payer big dollars

In fact, why don't we just get rid of everything that is not %100 safe and healthy?

Well?

[Carpet Burn]

Calm down Skippy

[geishaboy]

Ironicly, I was itching for a smoke when I wrote that

[mr pad]

Im not a smoker, I think its $&#$% gross, but I wouldnt try and stop people from having that freedom, there are things I do that I dont want to stop doing which may not be good for me, but $&#$% you maori party, thats my right.

[SnakeEyes]

I only smoke on rare occasions, but like Cahuna I'm Pro-Choice. And if the government loses their revenue from the Smoking Tax then what's the bet we'll just be taxed on other things. Horray, another Petrol pricerise...

K<^-^>E

[mupp3t]

no
i can bet road taxes would go up as well as the amount of tickets for traffic offences if this was to be introduced. the loss in revenue has to be made up somewhere.

[HELBND]

Definitely not - im actuallly surprised the labour party had nothing to do with the suggestion - it would just be another example of "Aunty Helen knows best"

EDIT: And a big "Up Yours" to everyone who voted yes. Tools

[Silent Knight]

If us smokers all stopped smoking at once because of a law made by the government who do you think will get stung with extra taxes on stuff caused by all of the money the government are losing out on because they don't get any from the tobacco taxes?

[mr pad]

EDIT: And a big "Up Yours" to everyone who voted yes. Tools

Funny how they are the ones that dont comment...

[zEpHyRiNe]

Ohh yeah, great freaking idea

While we are at it, why don't we just ban Alcohol too, the deaths caused by drink driving and alcoholism are in the greater numbers, in fact, why don't we put a bann on cars, people drive them too fast and get killed along with emissions killing the ozone layer and enviroment

Cellphones have to go, they cause brain cancer and give teens the thumb joints of an 80 year old, let's not forget fast food, as it is terribly bad for you and makes you obese

Sex - thats out the window, too many people getting FULL BLOWN AIDS around the place, and unwanted babies cost the tax payer big dollars

In fact, why don't we just get rid of everything that is not %100 safe and healthy?

Well?

Funnily enough, thats exactly what I was thinking...

Yes, I'm a smoker, but I'm one of these smokers that try not to "offend" non-smokers by not smoking around them. As a general rule, I smoke outside anyway (unless I'm in the car or at someones house that insist that I smoke inside), I actually much prefer it that way- rooms that fill up with smoke are icky.

It's my personal opinion that the warning labels are enough. They explicitly state the 'dangers' of smoking, leaving it up to the consumer to choose if they want to smoke or not. Yet, still knowing the consequences, people still choose to smoke. I also think its hellishly retarded that people can get away with sueing tobacco companies, as smokers ARE actually aware of the associated risks that go along with their nicotene hit.

Blah blah blah, etc etc.

Maori party = deluded. It's hardly a simple thing to eradicate, and if they can erase it, then they will have to erase other consumer epidemics, such as alcohol. But that's just what I think.

[Dell'Orto]

Its a bloody ridiculous idea. How can you ban what someoneone wants to do in their own home?? Likewise I'm very anti smoking, but if people want to take 30 years to commit suicide, let em

[Cahuna]

I see the banning of smoking as being similar to Prohobition (the banning of sales of alcohol in the USA between 1920 and 1933). It was banned for similar reasons to that being argued for banning alcohol - health benefits, benefits to society as a whole but by most accounts Prohobition caused significant problems, which lead to its repealing.

Taken from http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-157.html

Although consumption of alcohol fell at the beginning of Prohibition, it subsequently increased. Alcohol became more dangerous to consume; crime increased and became "organized"; the court and prison systems were stretched to the breaking point; and corruption of public officials was rampant. No measurable gains were made in productivity or reduced absenteeism. Prohibition removed a significant source of tax revenue and greatly increased government spending. It led many drinkers to switch to opium, marijuana, patent medicines, cocaine, and other dangerous substances that they would have been unlikely to encounter in the absence of Prohibition.

Another side-effect of a smoking ban that I just thought of is the effect on tourism and international trade. If you lived in Australia, ran a business and were a smoker would you come to NZ for 2 weeks to form business deals knowing that you would have to go cold-turkey for that period? Or you are an American who wants to come visit little ol' clean, green NZ because of what you saw on Lord of the Rings only to find that you can't light a fag during your visit. Would you come here or spend your greenbacks in Australia instead?

[FXGTV]

This is just the Maori parties way to get their name out there, get some publicity and tbh its working. They're not dumb, they know prohibition cannot/will not work.

[RomanV]

Fact:

It cost LESS to pay for smokers health care, and having them die early, than it costs for the goverment to pay retirement etc. to non smokers that live longer.

It's in the governments best interests to keep people smoking.....
But not so much that they die TOO early, while they still would have had 10 years of working left in them.
Hence the warnings etc. that it's bad.

Old people that cant work are a liability, and it's in the governments best interests to knock them off if possible.
Especially when the baby boomers all retire, and will be a huge burden on the govts budget.

/Takes off tinfoil conspiracy hat

[Adydas]

As Cahuna has said... It would be a loss of revenue for the government. A huge loss. Which I doubt the Maori party is seeing any of anyway

What about the Winz Payments? Ooo bit of a low blow there.

[B1NZ]

yeah, get rid of it, most people are trying to stop anyway, and those who arent are too stupid to realise what they are sucking in, doesnt take a rocket scientist to realise that its not good for you - so why start?!?