this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2023
508 points (98.5% liked)
World News
32348 readers
413 users here now
News from around the world!
Rules:
-
Please only post links to actual news sources, no tabloid sites, etc
-
No NSFW content
-
No hate speech, bigotry, propaganda, etc
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
People saying that's a good decision are simply unqualified to talk about it, they're completely clueless and willingly ignorant, just like sunak and his fking delusional confidence. How is it not obvious that people will refer to black market tobacco? Has history AND WHATS HAPPENING LIKE RIGHT NOW IN GOD DAMN REAL TIME not fking taught you all what banning drugs does? Because of people like you other people will die. That's also YOUR responsibility, not just theirs. It's YOU who affect their decision. And it's not just the fact that it's black market and people will just die, it's also the fact that underground, potentially mafia-like organisations will have MORE POWER. You all LEGIT make me believe in totalitarian governments. I simply can not handle the confident ignorance.
Like imagine a society where 1/4 of the population is forced to quit cold turkey. Y'all are fking insane
It's very easy to compare this to The Prohibition but the reality is alcohol is much more popular than tobacco. For someone who doesn't drink, understanding the appeal of drinking in a social setting is way easier. With this law I don't think there is a need for a black market of tobacco like there was with alcohol as it will still be available to purchase, just more controlled. The effect will be a reduction in exposure in younger generations that simply won't find the need to start smoking. This works and in my province of Quebec since laws have been getting stricter the only people that still smoke are poor or raised by heavy smoker parents.
Smoking is still more popular than soft drugs, and the same prohibition logic argues against marijauna laws quite nicely.
Also, doing home made alcohol is pretty easy and pretty dangerous too, this is why is better to have it legal, regulated and restricted. Try to grow up your own tobacco.
Growing tobacco is surprisingly easy depending on your environment, I guess. I know it definitely grows in the desert where I lived at the time.
The harder part is actually curing it correctly after harvesting it. The curing process requires the right humidity and temperature and takes a while.
You still gonna need a lot of time and effort to growth enough for normal consumption.
My first cigarette was bought from a black market dealer involved with the uda my countries main drug gang. Prohibition doesn't work
"WELL WHAT ABOUT" shut up, oh shut up. Ban drug = force people to do unsafe things to get an unsafe version of the drug. It's simple. That's how it worked, that's how it works RIGHT NOW, and that's how it will continue to work unless something fundamental changes in the society. Exposure won't be reduced. Kids get tobacco illegally anyways. Nothing is changing for them. Next step after that is underground production of tobacco products which means PEOPLE WILL DIE
Did you read the article? The legislation steadily increases the legal age limit so that kids don't get hooked on tobacco in the first place. No one will have to "quit cold turkey".
One of the biggest issues with the war on drugs is that it criminalizes the use of certain drugs. This doesn't do that.
As for your claim about a black market and a mafia:
They're still providing people with tobacco, just a less-deadly kind. Comparing that to the war on drugs is ridiculous. The point of the war on drugs isn't to get people to quit using dangerous drugs recreationally, every reasonable person wants that. The point of it is to control minorities and poor people. That's absolutely not what's happening here.
None of this is to defend Sunak btw, he's a broken clock that happens to be right in this instance.
You left out the part where kids get tobacco anyways and this will just make it unsafe for them and that WILL cost their lives. It WILL kill someone's child.
Btw war on tobacco is war on drugs. Tobacco is a drug. Making it irrelevant in people's minds is the way, not formally banning it
The fact rushi sunak is brutally cutting down on the NHS, and benefits for the general populace, those who are addicted will simply be blamed. It's such a textbook tactic and has been used for decades now.
AND PEOPLE ARE EATING IT UP😭 I simply do not want to live in a world like this
I think it's a good decision.
Well maybe think a bit better idk? Maybe learn to read too? Cuz I literally pointed out objective (emphasis on this word) reasons why that's a bad idea
It's a great idea actually.
Imagine trying to troll people on this topic😐 bruh