... but also far more harmful if consumed excessively. You can be a heavy smoker and still be a fully functioning, productive member of society. The same can't be said about most cases of heavy drinkers.




Simply put, it is not the state's job to prevent people from making bad decisions and as long as the consequences are mostly affecting the one making the bad decision, it actually doesn't even have the right to infringe on personal liberties in this way.
This move by the NZ government might appear acceptable, or perhaps even reasonable, at first glance... smoking is a shitty habit with really bad long-term health ramifications.

But when you think about it, this move represents are very fundamental and imho very dangerous paradigm shift with regard to the understanding of the relationship between state and individual. If people are no longer free to make decisions for themselves, are no longer free to make "bad" decisions, if we accept this idea that the state should protect its citizens from themselves, to reeducate, nudge or coerce them into the behavior deemed desirable by the ruling class... then we have opened the door to nanny state encroachment and set ourselves on a path leading straight to a CCP-style social credit score system with pervasive surveillance of citizen behavior.

This post was edited by Black XistenZ on Dec 11 2021 02:30am

Disagree. I think this is a positive paradigm shift more focusing on real problems rather than fake ones. We've spent billions of dollars fighting non-issues like marijuana when cigarettes have caused many times more harm.

IMO we're going to see a shift in the future away from "the evils of XXXX drug" and more towards "Uhhh, this drug is creating real problems on a massive scale and it's incredibly difficult to stop so we need to kind of get rid of it". Much more sensible policy.


I don't get why you could possibly think this is a "paradigm shift". We've been regulating drugs for like, all of modern history. Cigarettes and tobacco only kept clear because they had historical roots. They didn't have to be purified with modern techniques like Cocaine did, so they are "normal".

This post was edited by NetflixAdaptationWidow on Dec 11 2021 02:47am

lul

"progressive"

retards

Hi, your entire premise is flawed because of this bolded line.
Universal healthcare in australia and nz, tax payers cover the costs of this shitty habit.
And it makes complete sense to stop dumb teenagers from making mistakes that ruin their lives before they are smart enough to understand what they are doing.

This post was edited by Plaguefear on Dec 11 2021 03:09am

Exactly, its not that smoking, alcohol, drugs or other unhealthy behaviours are bad. The point is that the nanny state is trying to take away your ability to self determine. But then its very funny when government bans one substance while there is a myriad of other things which are equally and worse, are not banned. In process creating a very conflicting dynamic.
Lets ban smoking but not processed white sugar. Who knows maybe the cigarette lobby didn't pay its quarterly donations. All I know the government usually doesn't just make these laws out the kindness of their heart.

This post was edited by addone on Dec 11 2021 05:06am

Any time a right is changed to a privilege (to be taken away) we all lose.
Even if the right is something you disagree with.
This is a dangerous and slippery slope.
Next time it may be something you do agree with.
Laws are there to facilitate rights, not hinder them.

edit: it is not the governments responsibility to protect me from myself.

This post was edited by sirthom on Dec 11 2021 07:07am

to each his own

2050 it will be illegal to be poor.

If you ever get poor you will be put in jail and have to swim in money for at least 6 hours a day.

After your time, you get a head start capital and make your own business.

It will be a good time.

Coming from a smoker, I think this is probably a good thing.

This post was edited by Donahey on Dec 11 2021 07:37am

NZ: bans smoking.

US blue states:



https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/us/ballot-measures-propositions-2020.html