Prohibition never works, if people want something then they are going to find it. The only thing this does is make smoking tobacco even less safe than it already is. If they truly wanted people to stop smoking then they just need to keep raising the tax on it year after year but of course new taxes are unpopular and politicians hate to be unpopular
Comment on Smoking ban for people born after 2008 in the UK agreed
Armand1@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting,
🤢
It’s not clear how they will police this. Will you need to provide ID at point of sale? Will we punish buyers? Will this just make this all go underground?
While I do think everyone should quit smoking, it’s easier said than done and it could disproportionately affect disadvantaged people.
CobblerScholar@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 2 days ago
Outright banning it or taxing the shit out of it have the same effect: buyers go to underground sellers, further risking their health/bypassing legal quality controls.
Source: I’m a weed smoker in Canada. While it is legal here; it’s like 80% cheaper to use ‘native’ dispensaries (shops on native land, run by natives, and thus not subject to federal/provincial taxes). It’s been several years since I last used a govt dispensary, and that was mostly because my usual sources were unavailable at the time.
$10-15/gram shatter vs $45-50/gram at a govt dispensary.
At least the taxing option brings in revenue for the govt and keeps people out of jail just for consuming their substance of choice without harming anyone else.
CobblerScholar@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Fair point but for tobacco I think it would be different. Granted its a subjectively biased opinion but every smoker I’ve talked to wants to quit and just needs the proverbial last straw to put it down for good. If tobacco spikes in price that will be that straw for many people. Sure plenty of folks will still want to use tobacco and will do their best to skirt that tax but it will be a fraction of the current total smoking population that will continue to shrink. Additionally higher taxes kneecap the ability of manufacturers to raise prices on their goods so if theres no profit to be made the industry itself shrinks.
LodeMike@lemmy.today 2 days ago
Bold of you to assume the U.K. government has the ability to reason.
then_three_more@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I’d assume I’d at the retailer, like they legally have to do to make sure you’re over 18 now. It’ll just be the age goes up and up and up.
mannycalavera@feddit.uk 2 days ago
You have to right now if you’re lucky (unlucky) enough to still look like a child otherwise the seller is fined quite substantially and they do spot checks to enforce this. Same with alcohol. The difference is that the lowest age will increase each year.