Saturday, November 06, 2010

Smoking - the sensible and the stupid

The Dutch are sensible people. Their blanket ban on smoking in bars has been amended. Now if the bar is owner-operated with no other staff and no bigger than 70 sqm then people can once more enjoy their cigarettes. And whatever else they legally buy I assume.

So nobody is unwillingly exposed to second hand smoke. And the private property rights of the bar owner are restored.

Interesting that the fight isn't over after all. I imagine it is quite on the cards that other European countries will follow suit.

Yet here, a country with an abysmal over-abundance of neurotic numbskulls, the insane campaign to make NZ smoke-free rolls on. A thought on that for the anti-tobacco zealots. If smoking tobacco was outlawed we will all pay more tax to a/ compensate for the $1 billion plus the government currently takes on tobacco and b/ through the increased mortality and extra ageing costs of newly complying non-smokers and c/ through policing the crime that the tobacco black market will create.

8 comments:

Andrei said...

The anti smoking anti drinking brigade are just secular Calvinists they just want to make everybody's lives as miserable as their own

Manolo said...

Calvinists, zealots, nico-nazis. The do-gooders are all the same.

Anonymous said...

It'll be an attack on drinking coffee and fatty foods next...if it hasn't started already.

Anonymous said...

The anti-smoking/anti-drinking screamathon is exquisite in its hypocrisy as politicians swoon over both to obtain electoral support while drooling over the tax revenues from both sources. Bastards!!

Anonymous said...

unleash the dogs of war..


Dirk

James said...

So nobody is unwillingly exposed to second hand smoke. And the private property rights of the bar owner are restored.

Before the smoking ban here NOONE WAS "unwillingly exposed" to second hand smoke.Everyone who worked or went to a smoking bar did so in full knowledge that that was what it was.

There was never a need to "protect" unwilling people from second hand smoke as those who really didn't want to inhale smoke didn't have to..they stayed away or went elsewhere...simple.

Lucy said...

Nannny state does not want us to smoke as we may enjoy our lives with nicotine and alchol .

PS I no longer smoke but I do enjoy a wine and a giggle and loathe the anti fun brigadeso much I will fight to the end for people who do want to smoke.

Anonymous said...

I don't see too many people getting upset with the smoke free bars and work places. Can't recall the last time I saw people taking to the streets to protest these laws. In fact a small gaggle of right wing bloggers and their few respondents are about the only dissenters to this sensible legislation.