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Hawaii is considering a bill that bans cigarette sales to anyone under 100
(CNN) "The legislature finds that the cigarette is considered the deadliest artifact in human history."
So begins the text of a new bill introduced in Hawaii's State House, calling for a phased ban on cigarette sales in the state by 2024.
Hawaii has some of the most restrictive cigarette laws in the nation. In 2016, it became the first state to raise the age to buy cigarettes to 21. Now, its new bill calls for raising the cigarette-buying age to 30 by next year, up to 40, 50 and 60 in each subsequent year, and up to 100 by 2024.That would effectively clear Hawaii's store shelves of cigarettes, although tourists could still bring them in.
And curiously, Hawaii would offer its centenarians the chance to buy cigarettes near the end of their life -- if they could find them.
Can't we instead simply restrict kids under 100 to designated smoking areas?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Subsentient on Tuesday February 05 2019, @03:29AM (9 children)
You're just going to create a new black market for cigarettes and make criminals out of trailer trash.
Legalizing drugs is the solution, not making more of them illegal.
I don't have an issue with making it illegal to smoke around non-smokers. Secondhand smoke kills a lot of people.
Put those gorey pictures of smoker gums and whatnot on the boxes if you want, that seems like it might help a bit.
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti
(Score: 5, Interesting) by DrkShadow on Tuesday February 05 2019, @03:34AM (6 children)
I agree. Smokers never, ever smoke alone -- if anyone walks within 50 feet of them they may as well gag on the smoke. Do like Japan: no smoking on the PUBLIC way. Or rather, if you do, and someone else is forced to inhale your shit, you're guilty of battery.
I also agree -- don't make these things illegal. Just make the sellers liable for injury and damages. In a couple years, when the cancer lawsuits start, this problem will take care of itself. In fact, I'm surprised this hasn't already started happening, given the current political environment. It's already illegal to receive or sell known stolen goods, and how does it work with something known to be unsafe (recalled)? If you sell a home with known conditions, you're liable to remedy those conditions after sale.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 05 2019, @03:48AM (1 child)
This happens to me but with that axe "body spray", why do people wear that stuff?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 05 2019, @05:40PM
Smoker repellent?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by LVDOVICVS on Tuesday February 05 2019, @03:55AM (2 children)
Then why shouldn't anyone running an internal combustion engine also be guilty of battery?
(Score: 2) by DrkShadow on Tuesday February 05 2019, @02:39PM
In fact, they should be -- especially if they're doing it 10 feet from an entry way and you can smell their crud 50 feet away.
Some things it's acknowledged that a little bit of harm is acceptable in the case of a majority good. Everyone needs to drive (except, maybe, for the odd person who takes a bus -- which just externalizes the cost). To minimize it, cars' exhaust is subject to emissions standards, they're required to reside in designated areas, and they're moving to electric -- you can count on ICE's being essentially banned in the medium future, mostly for aspects of pollution.
(Even so, I'd much rather stand within five feet of the exhaust of a car than within 20 feet of a smoker.)
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Tuesday February 05 2019, @04:47PM
They'd only be guilty of battery if the engine was a hybrid.
Oh, wait: that kind of battery...
(Score: 2) by boltronics on Tuesday February 05 2019, @07:02PM
Japan isn't a great example. I've never been to Japan either, but I know there are generally designated outside areas to smoke in restricted areas. Unfortunately those areas can be just 5m away from a non-smoking standing area, so their effectiveness is questionable. In any case, my understanding is that the number of streets where smoking is restricted is still not that great.
One of my colleagues went to Japan on vacation a few months back, and he said (as a non-smoker living in Australia) that smoking was one of the worst things about the country. Since it's increasingly becoming socially unacceptable to smoke on the street, everyone smokes indoors. Restaurants often don't have much division between smoking and non-smoking (if any) so most people end up inhaling cigarette smoke much more in many restaurants than if it were more acceptable on the street.
Thankfully, there are many further smoking restrictions being introduced ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games which should at least see better division between smoking and non-smoking areas in restaurants. If I ever visit Japan, it won't be until these issues are addressed.
It's GNU/Linux dammit!
(Score: 2) by Hyper on Tuesday February 05 2019, @10:06AM (1 child)
Do what Australia does? Increase the tax a bit every year on a box of cigs.
The die hard hold outs will eventually die.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 05 2019, @02:29PM
I thought Aussies go to their friendly local supplier with smuggling contacts.