Niue, a tiny island in free association with New Zealand, is proposing to make the entire island smoke-free by passing a law to ban smoking on all parts of the island. The island's health director is backing a bill to ban smoking in public places and private homes due to the cost of taking care of smokers. The Independent has the story but they refer to Niue as the world's smallest country when in fact that it is not an independent country and thus not ranked among the smallest countries in the world. What do you think of the proposal?
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i love it. if niue outlaws tobacco, i may just move there. no place can truly be a paradise if there is some jerk blowing smoke in your face.
may it occur world-wide! A disgusting habit.
I’m not a smoker, and don’t really like second-hand smoke. But, I don’t think it’s proper for the government to meddle like this with people’s lives. If it’s too expensive to take care of the smokers, the solution is simple: Don’t take care of them.
See you later Charles. May intolerance rein in Niue!
There are other people in the world. Learn how to live with them.
Jeff, what nasty habits do you have?
Get over yourselves.
I totally agree with Tim. What a horrifying thought to have governments dictating habits -as long as they don’t interfere with other people. (I’m a non-smoker).
I agree in spirit with Tim and Klaus, but it is more complicated than that. If the government is providing health care in any way, perhaps they have the responsibility to eliminate health risks to the best of their ability. If health care is all private pay, then have at it! Charles and Jeff need to learn to live with it. Issues are rarely black and white, they are mostly gray, kind of like smoke…
I’m a non smoker, and a fifteen year old. The way I see it, this ban on smoking will bring widespread debate, outrage, and protest in the immediate future, but it will also assure that all the generations to come will not have easy access to cigarettes. Of course people will still find ways of smoking, like with any other illegal drug, but young people will not be exposed to it so constantly and openly. John, you suggest that the government should ignore the problems caused by smoking and let people die rather than preventing them in the first place. Not treating smokers would be REAL discrimination.
A small step for country…A giant leap for the planet.
I’m a non-smoking athlete and had moderate and sometimes severe asthma attacks when younger. HOWEVER, I don’t like the idea of governments deciding habits or choices.
BUT, I do truly hate and detest smokers, WHO rudely smoke around others who don’t share their addiction/hobby (some smokers I know can’t STAND cigarettes while eating).
Under these circumstances, smoking is a private choice issue, and I wish the smokers would smoke the 4000 chemicals in the privacy of their own home and cars with the windows closed =) I smile, but it’s sad when they do it with their children in the car with a window cracked…you have to feel bad for the smokers, they spend a lot of their money on cigarettes, more on health insurance and if they’re lucky to live to an old age, they’ll have a a bad bout with asthma-like symptoms that a ‘quick spritz’ won’t let it go away.
It’s truly Karma for them in their final years when they’re gasping for breathe. And yes, I had people in my life die in this way (smoking). It was a choice, they lived with it, please don’t let the rest of die for your mistakes. Keep it inside, keep it private, no one will bother you.
I wish the government would rule it could be done within the confines of
I am a former smoker and glad of it. I wouldn’t have wanted — nor do I now condone — the government telling me if I could or couldn’t smoke. HOWEVER, if it comes down to WHO has to pay for the smoke-related illnesses that smokers contract, then a plan for higher health insurance premiums and deductibles should be formulated.
Not just the cost — but what it does to the rest of the family. It’s bad enough we get illnesses “out of nowhere” so to speak, but to CAUSE yourself to become ill — that’s a whole different ballgame. The ill then want family around to take care of them. I know because I have a sister-in-law who smoked until the day they took her lung out. She thought that would be the end of it and she could go on her merry way — NOT!
She was told the cancer was attached to her heart muscle and nothing could be done. We’ve seen her thru chemo, losing her hair three times and she looks like a skeleton. She is now selling her home, living with her daughter which caused her to leave the county in which she lived for 56 years and she’s crying the blues because she wants to live with anyone in her county just so she can stay there.
Like I said, it’s bad enough when we get sick “naturally”, but now she wants everyone to STOP, DROP and ROLL for her and it just causes stress for MANY people.
She also did not want to listen to her doctors about the smoking years before she was diagnosed — I believe a doctor should have the right to deny treatment IF the patient doesn’t follow sensible instructions.
Unfortunately, I’m on my lunch hour and I’ve got to get back to work . . . Have a great day everyone . . .
Great idea. Rest of the world will soon wake up and ban/outlaw smoking as well due to the huge health problems and soaring economic costs of these. Wait 10 years and smoking will be banned in several European countries.
some people here are saying that a government shouldn’t dictate what habits are legal or not. are you advocating the legalization of all drugs? i see no fundamental difference between addiction to nicotine, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, etc.
to put tobacco in its own special category and those other addictive drugs into another category is to support a double standard.