Sweden's new smoking ban

Discussion in 'Drugs, Alcohol & Tobacco' started by Ritter, Jul 4, 2019.

  1. Ritter

    Ritter Well-Known Member

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    The Swedish government recently passed a new "smoking law" that came into force on the 1st of July -- The new legislation includes new regulations and guidelines on where smokers are allowed to consume their tobacco and the prohibitions also applies for "vapes". Breaking this law is punished with a fine.

    So, what does this mean? It means that is now illegal to smoke:
    * At open-air restaurants/bars/cafés.
    * Schoolyards, public parks and playgrounds.
    * Bus stops and platforms.
    * By the entrenences to places like stores, hospitals and offices.
    * At sport stadiums.
    * At public beaches.
    * Restaurants are allowed to install separate "smoking huts", but smokers are not allowed to consume food or beverage in the "smoking hut".

    It seems as if it is no longer legal to smoke anywhere and instead of just banning tobacco and smoking altogether, the State used their inferal genius to make their draconian guardianship look less malicious.

    I am not even a smoker and still I find this absolutely disgusting and feel like becoming a smoker just to rebel against this lunacy. If you are no longer allowed to smoke "nearby entrenences" or even in a park, it means it is basically impossible to light a cigarette if you live in the city.

    To discuss:
    What is your initial reaction? Is this good or bad? What do you think the implication will be? Where are the smokers supposed to enjoy their cigarettes now? Is it OK to pass a law that favours one group such as non-smokers over smokers? Anything else to add?
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2019
  2. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Australia has laws similar to these Ritter. To be honest I used to absolutely glare at anyone who ever dared light up near my kids, so the schoolyards and playgrounds are actually good for the kids.

    Australia I think have recently reached their lowest smoking rate ever... thanks to these laws and the exorbitant cost of smoking. A year or so ago a someone was smoking near a table where I was sitting and it absolutely ruins your meal. You become spoilt with these no smoking laws... enjoying your food without choking on someone else's smoke.

    The truth is that smokers pollute your air, when they smoke around you. The laws may seem harsh now but once you get used to breathing clean air you wouldn't want it any other way.
     
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  3. Ritter

    Ritter Well-Known Member

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    It is better if such bans occur spontaneously and socially - If some genius starts puffing near you or your children you can use the magic phrase of "excuse me, sir". I find this ban highly ridiculous, not to say provocating since it is paternalism.

    Of course, when one wishes to make one's own morals a law, it is good to spread some moral hysteria and this is often done by using lines like "won't somebody please think of the children?!" and other such phrases. :p

    This can easily be solved by the restaurant/café/bar owner himself. It is nothing that has to be forced onto everyone.

    Yeah, of course it is all fine and dandy now because us non-smokers are not affected, but next they might attack a group we belong to.

    Smoking has actually been the source of many of our times most brilliant intellectual insights. Just saying. :p
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2019
  4. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

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    I'm in general against government regulations, but I do agree with regulating smoking in public. I've lived in Florida for almost 16 years, and during my time here, eating establishments have always been non-smoking. It's been good. After living here for a few months, I went to a nearby state and had dinner. They asked me "smoking or non-smoking." Even seated in the non-smoking section, I could smell it. I didn't go back to restaurants in that area until they changed their law to not allowing smoking in restaurants. If smoking didn't effect anybody else, I'd have no problems with smoking in public, but it does.
     
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  5. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

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    There is nothing that people do that is equivalent to smoking in terms of bothering people around them.

    People can have intellectual insights in private.
     
  6. Ritter

    Ritter Well-Known Member

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    You fail to see that the issue here is that the State is using its authority to pamper the citizens as if they were helpless little children. This is not as much about smoking as it is about principles. Sweden has way worse problems than smoking, yet the government decides to focus on something that is not even any of the their business.

    This further proves that MP's are a bunch of OCD-infected, masochist bullies. This ban confirms all of my prejudices about politicians.
     
  7. Ritter

    Ritter Well-Known Member

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    Then you are not at all "in general against government regulations". You are just an oppurtunist who likes when regulations are put on things you dislike, but get mad when they are forced on what you like.

    If you are against government regulations, you are against this too because this is the most extreme form of government using its power to regulate the sovereignty of individuals and completely underestimating the individuals' power to solve problems on their own.
    See, this could easily be solved automatically by the market. I am sure there would be demand for non-smoking bars and restaurants as well as for smoking bars and restaurants. And I assume some bars and restaurants would decide to section it up.

    This is a question that is not at all an issue.
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2019
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  8. Pants

    Pants Well-Known Member

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    One missing piece in this discussion is the nationalized healthcare provided by Sweden. They are not willing to outlaw smoking, but they are doing their level best to eliminate diseases caused by second hand smoke.

    For the record, I'm all for the banning of smoking in all public spaces. It has proven to be effective in the encouragement of people quitting.
     
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  9. Creasy Tvedt

    Creasy Tvedt Well-Known Member

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    I hate the government meddling, but I have to give the anti-smoking laws a pass.

    I'm old enough to remember when smoking was "cool" and the world was a disgusting, stinky place because of it. I remember back when guests would walk into your house, sit down on your couch, and light up a cigarette without anybody saying a word, or even giving it a second thought. I remember back when commercial airplanes had ashtrays built into the armrests, and people used them. It seems insane now, and it WAS insane.

    Cigarettes really are horrible enough to justify laws that I'll concede are pretty invasive.
     
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  10. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

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    The purpose of government is to stop people from infringing on other people's rights. In this case, smoking in public causes localized pollution which infringes upon my right to breath.

    Well, personally, I think this should be an issue for local governments to decide. And, the answer is, yes, there is a demand for non-smoking restaurants. In fact, in nearby Mississippi, most of the casinos are now smoke free, not due to regulation, but due to the market.
     
  11. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    In my experience smokers are rarely considerate, they do not consider your right to breathe smoke free air to be more important than their right to pollute it
     

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