Reversal of smoking ban criticised as ‘shameful’ for lacking evidence

Reversal of smoking ban criticised as ‘shameful’ for lacking evidence

New Zealand is repealing the world’s first smoking ban passed under former prime minister Jacinda Arden’s government to pave the way for a smoke-free generation amid backlash from researchers and campaigners over its risk to Indigenous people.

The new coalition government led by prime minister Christopher Luxon confirmed the repeal will happen on Tuesday, delivering on one of the actions of his coalition’s ambitious 100-day plan.

The government repeal will be put before parliament as a matter of urgency, enabling it to scrap the law without seeking public comment, in line with previously announced plans.

    • ArxCyberwolf@lemmy.caEnglish
      281·
      10 months ago

      There’s a lot of fear and uncertainty in the world. Fear is the basis behind conservatism, as is hate.

    • Boingboing@lemmy.worldEnglish
      181·
      10 months ago

      People are desperate for change from the status quo. The right offer simple answers for very complex questions. No critical thinking required.

    • chuckleslord@lemmy.worldEnglish
      10·
      10 months ago

      There’s a lot of money to be made telling people who are afraid of things new things for them to be afraid of. You could also use it to grab power.

      • Cryophilia@lemmy.worldEnglish
        214·
        10 months ago

        You don’t see the irony, do you? This type of propaganda is why smoking was banned in the first place. It works for the left as well as the right. GMOs, gluten, nuclear power.

        • chuckleslord@lemmy.worldEnglish
          101·
          10 months ago

          The difference being that those are naive solutions to complex problems, but correctly identifying the problems. The right has no solutions, only scape goats that block them from some “perfect” past that we’ve progressed away from. There’s no irony here, just a misunderstanding, on your part, of what divides the left and right.

          • Cryophilia@lemmy.worldEnglish
            44·
            10 months ago

            Sure, I get that.

            I’m just saying that the impetus can be propaganda on either side. Left gets taken in by propaganda, they want to do something (even banning something is couched as a proactove measure). Right gets taken in by propaganda, they want to stop things (even taking action is couched as a reversion to previous times).

            In this case, the right has no solutions while the left has bad solutions. The right doesn’t see smoking as a problem, therefore no solutions are required. I agree with the right on this issue.

            • chuckleslord@lemmy.worldEnglish
              41·
              10 months ago

              But the right is wrong as well. There need not be restrictions on who wish to purchase tobacco, that we can agree on, but there do need to be on those who would sell tobacco. Tobacco kills and is addictive, to allow it to be sold without restrictions (on advertising, or the sale to minors) would be a cruelty to those who would’ve never started smoking with those restrictions in play. Only those who can understand the decision they make, with an adult mind unswayed by propaganda (advertising), should be able to make that choice.

              • Cryophilia@lemmy.worldEnglish
                4·
                10 months ago

                to allow it to be sold without restrictions

                Is anyone arguing for that? If so, it’s new to me

    • Optional@lemmy.worldEnglish
      9·
      10 months ago

      The answer is very simple: Propaganda works. Consistently and very predictably. All those arguments we should have had in the 70’s about “television” were right, instead, cable and streaming won and here we are in the belly of the beast.

    • lorty@lemmy.mlEnglish
      2·
      10 months ago

      There’s no other way to keep the race for the first trillionaire going other than moving towards the right.

    • VirtualOdour@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      416·
      10 months ago

      Probably because the left doesn’t really have a vision to offer, we should be promoting a better future for all and showing how we can achieve it but instead we’ve got infighting, purity culture, self destructive idealism, and calls for making life harder on regular people in pretty much every way possible.

      • RubberDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
        92·
        10 months ago

        The vibe I get is that the left usually points at things that need to change and offers solutions to the problems they see.

        And the right campaigns on “not that”

        • aStonedSanta@lemm.eeEnglish
          1·
          10 months ago

          Same. I ponder if it’s an echo chamber but then realize I consume such a variety of news…. Sad state of things.

        • VirtualOdour@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          32·
          10 months ago

          If you’ve never seen leftwing infighting then you’ve never been involved in any form of left wing politics lol

            • VirtualOdour@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
              21·
              10 months ago

              Ha yeah that’s a horrendously naive perspective, I’ve been involved in a lot of leftwing movements over the years especially eco and economic reform and I can tell you that if all the infighting comes from outside agents then we should thank the three letters because there would be no movement at all without them.

              Are you honestly trying to tell me that you don’t think the left has any issues? It’s all good honesty lefties working together?

              And the others, they’re not lefties or Scotsmen, they’re agents who must rightly be obliterated… hmm, I think I might have seen this one before 🤔