Getting serious for a moment- an alternative solution to the smoking problem
As I'm sure some of you have heard, a proposition has been made to ban tobacco from New Zealand by 2010. This is a noble sentiment, to be sure, but somewhat impractical- there are many implications to be considered here, such as the impact that this would have on revenue, tourism, and the intense physical discomfort that going unexpectedly cold turkey is going to cause to existing smokers.
I would like to propose an alternative solution- what I've tentatively called a "Smoker's Permit".
The idea behind the Smoker's Permit is very simple- a photographic ID card that permits the holder of the card to buy cigarettes. There should be heavy penalties - whether they be financial, or more severe would be left up to the legislators- associated with the transfer of cigarettes to non-permit holders, whether they be bought, or given. An example of this would be a fine for store owners caught selling cigarettes to those without a permit, and, in order to stop smokers from buying for their peers, a similar fine coupled with the revocation of their own permit- this threat alone would be enough to bring many smokers into line, as the fear of being without nicotine for most smokers is very palpable indeed.
I foresee two ways in which these permits would be issued- one to cater for existing smokers within New Zealand, and another to cater to smokers visiting New Zealand from other countries.
For New Zealand citizens, I suggest that there be a three month period during which smokers are able to apply for a permit. Only people over the age of twenty would be eligible to apply, and once the three month period is over, not a single additional permit would be issued again to a natural (as in "born here") New Zealander. This has the advantage of preventing potential new smokers from falling into what can only be described as an appalling trap, whilst not penalising existing smokers- we need to treat smokers as victims here, not as the villains of the piece.
For visitors to New Zealand, I propose a slight alternative- we cannot realistically expect to retain the same level of tourism as we currently enjoy without one- as a smoker, and even as a fairly intelligent member of said group, I can regrettably state that my own choice of travel destinations would be coloured by such a policy. To cater for this contingency, I suggest a variant of the citizens permit- one that is issued to tourists, and has a strict expiry date, corresponding to the duration of the intended visit. Since it would be impractical to make this a photographic ID, I would suggest that the display of a passport be made mandatory to use this variant of the card. In the case of visitors applying for permanent residency, a temporary smoker's card could be exchanged for a permanent one.
The smoker's permit would also integrate well with the current subsidies provided by Smokfree- a smoker's card could be converted to a quitters card (this could be done either by physically replacing the card, or altering it to reflect the smokers intention to quit. This would make the smoker eligible to receive subsidies from pharmacists on counter-addiction measures, such as nicotine patches, and similar solutions. Other incentives could be used to make this a more attractive option- perhaps the eventual final destruction of a smoker's card through official channels could be rewarded with cash rewards, or something similar.
Anyway, that's my proposal- I'd appreciate knowing what people think of this. I'm aware that I can be a bit naive, and my idea may not seem practical to some people- any suggestions or amendments that people may have would be more than welcome. If this is deemed to be a practical solution, then I am fully prepared to submit this to parliament for review.
Mike
I would like to propose an alternative solution- what I've tentatively called a "Smoker's Permit".
The idea behind the Smoker's Permit is very simple- a photographic ID card that permits the holder of the card to buy cigarettes. There should be heavy penalties - whether they be financial, or more severe would be left up to the legislators- associated with the transfer of cigarettes to non-permit holders, whether they be bought, or given. An example of this would be a fine for store owners caught selling cigarettes to those without a permit, and, in order to stop smokers from buying for their peers, a similar fine coupled with the revocation of their own permit- this threat alone would be enough to bring many smokers into line, as the fear of being without nicotine for most smokers is very palpable indeed.
I foresee two ways in which these permits would be issued- one to cater for existing smokers within New Zealand, and another to cater to smokers visiting New Zealand from other countries.
For New Zealand citizens, I suggest that there be a three month period during which smokers are able to apply for a permit. Only people over the age of twenty would be eligible to apply, and once the three month period is over, not a single additional permit would be issued again to a natural (as in "born here") New Zealander. This has the advantage of preventing potential new smokers from falling into what can only be described as an appalling trap, whilst not penalising existing smokers- we need to treat smokers as victims here, not as the villains of the piece.
For visitors to New Zealand, I propose a slight alternative- we cannot realistically expect to retain the same level of tourism as we currently enjoy without one- as a smoker, and even as a fairly intelligent member of said group, I can regrettably state that my own choice of travel destinations would be coloured by such a policy. To cater for this contingency, I suggest a variant of the citizens permit- one that is issued to tourists, and has a strict expiry date, corresponding to the duration of the intended visit. Since it would be impractical to make this a photographic ID, I would suggest that the display of a passport be made mandatory to use this variant of the card. In the case of visitors applying for permanent residency, a temporary smoker's card could be exchanged for a permanent one.
The smoker's permit would also integrate well with the current subsidies provided by Smokfree- a smoker's card could be converted to a quitters card (this could be done either by physically replacing the card, or altering it to reflect the smokers intention to quit. This would make the smoker eligible to receive subsidies from pharmacists on counter-addiction measures, such as nicotine patches, and similar solutions. Other incentives could be used to make this a more attractive option- perhaps the eventual final destruction of a smoker's card through official channels could be rewarded with cash rewards, or something similar.
Anyway, that's my proposal- I'd appreciate knowing what people think of this. I'm aware that I can be a bit naive, and my idea may not seem practical to some people- any suggestions or amendments that people may have would be more than welcome. If this is deemed to be a practical solution, then I am fully prepared to submit this to parliament for review.
Mike