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New Zealand scraps world-first smoking ‘generation ban’ to fund tax cuts (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 11 months ago by stopthatgirl7@kbin.social to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml

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Health experts say axing plan to block sales of tobacco products to next generation will cost thousands of lives

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[-] SangersSequence@lemmy.world 20 points 11 months ago

Smoking is awful, disgusting, and through the diseases it causes puts a massive burden on the healthcare system... buuuut, educational campaigns to encourage people to stop and limiting it in media/banning advertisements is definitely the way to go over yet another prohibition law.

[-] livus@kbin.social 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

@SangersSequence

educational campaigns to encourage people to stop and limiting it in media/banning advertisements is definitely the way to go

I don't really understand why you think New Zealand hasn't already done that. It banned all tobacco advertising decades ago. Including shops have to keep them out of sight and no signs.

Starting from the 1990s tobacco had to have gruesome pictures of diseased lungs, rotting diabetic toes, etc all over it, and health warnings.

Then they banned companies from using their own fonts, colours or logos and standardised it. Then they made the warnings take up all the pack.

Modern tobacco packs in New Zealand look like this and costs two hours' wages for just one packet.

There are gruesome PSAs about it as well.

Unfortunately it's highly addictive and it kills people.