this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2024
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FYI we did this in New Zealand years ago (like more than a decade ago).
It is amazing. There are well ventilated smoking areas (well outside). Inside the air is clear and you get home without reeking of smoke.
It's the same in the UK - indoor public spaces have been smoke free since 2007. This is proposing removing public outdoor smoking spaces at bars and restaurants.
Oh, that's a bit shit.
Even I, a non smoker, think that's a bit rough.
As a former smoker, I think this is a good idea.
Smoking costs the public enormous costs in terms of healthcare.
Like hundreds of thousands of extra per liftime. That the NHS has to pay.
Here’s a study from 1990, add inflation and such https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199710093371506
So do a lot of decisions people make. Where do you draw the line?
You draw the line proportionally to how dangerous it is. The government regulation dangerous decisions is nothing new.
They put fences around cliffs. They ban driving under drug influence. They regulate driving with driving licenses. They force cars sold to meet certain safety standards. They regulate the max radiation that devices are allowed to output. They tax certain foods more than others (such as sugar-heavy foods). They ban certain construction materials (asbestos, lead).
The list is almost endless.
A lot of those things are very different from just personal vices.
If you want personal vices, sure.
Max sound volume (some people enjoy listening to really loud music). Max road speed (some people enjoy going really fast). Casinos (some people enjoy gambling). Animal fighting (some people enjoy watching those).
Each of those for a variety of reasons
I don't see why smoking is this special that can't be regulated. It was regulated already.
Smoking tobacco is far deadlier and more addictive than nearly all drugs. MDMA, LSD, even cocaine.
Only Heroin and Fetanyl are comfortably both more addictive and more deadly.