[ryanjshaw]

> Very short term thinking

What actual evidence do you base this on? The South African government banned cigarette sale during the lockdowns. Evidence suggests that black market cigarette sales surged and failed to return to previous levels after the ban was lifted.

The economic concern with banning cigarettes is you will have similar numbers of people smoking, but now you've lost the tax revenue on sales while you still have to carry the healthcare costs. You also have increased costs related to policing and adjudicating the ban.

[LouisSayers]

New Zealand has public healthcare. Around 5000 people die here per year as a result of smoking, which reduces any taxes those people would have paid had they not died, as well as costing tax payers for the time they spend in hospital.

The ban on cigarettes here wasn't to be an outright ban but one staggered over a number of years.

There's been a gradual decline of smokers in NZ over the years, so there is some evidence that such laws could be helpful rather than simply creating a black market.

https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/healthy-living/addict....

https://www.smokefree.org.nz/smoking-its-effects/facts-figur...