• Very_Bad_Janet@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Not saying that I agree with RS’s policy proposal but what is wrong with targeting smoking cessation especially amongst the poor? If poor people quit smoking, that’s better for their health, the health of those around them/who live with them (secondhand smoke), and their wallets.

    • The Snark Urge@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I don’t have a problem with the intended result, but I would rather see an approach that is reformative rather than punitive or prohibitive, since those methods tend to create dark markets; in my town quite recently, illegal cigarettes worth more than a small home were seized from a single shop. I come from America, where we have had issues with prohibition-style laws, so I feel that I see where it leads.

      I would rather see community funding for smoking cessation resources and support groups, education initiatives in schools, and broader policies aimed at decreasing the underlying wealth inequality that drives the behavior.