PUBLIC OPINION > Vietnam's Smoking Ban Is a Good Idea
SodaHead News
2012/06/20 16:00:00
Vietnam passed a landmark bill recently banning public smoking completely. Some places in the States have banned smoking in certain public places, like schools and bars -- Vietnam did the same in 2010. But in Vietnam, those limited bans weren't working, and some organizations projected 70,000 deaths per year in the country by 2030. So the country upped the ante and extended the ban. We asked the public if it's a good idea.
There was plenty of opposition, but in the end, most people agreed the ban was acceptable. We wouldn't go so far as to call it a "great" idea, based on results, but it did win a majority vote. There was, of course, plenty of opposition from those suggesting smoking should be a choice, regardless of the consequences. Still, a complete ban would theoretically cut back on annual deaths. That's definitely a plus.
Smokers Say Heck Naw
Since smokers make up approximately 19% of the populations (17% in the context of this poll), we should probably point out the difference in opinion between smokers and nonsmokers. Nearly three-fourths of non-smokers think the ban sounds like a great idea; however, a mere eight percent of smokers agree. If nearly half of Vietnam's male population smokes (currently 47.4%), they'll have a hard time enforcing this law.
Liberals Lay Down the Law
Outside of the smoking demographic, there were a couple of very strong correlations. Politics, for example, brought out a 36% difference in opinion. Only 36% of conservatives felt a complete public smoking ban would be a good idea, while exactly twice the percentage of liberals felt the same. Usually, progressives and libertarians prove to be extremes, but in this case liberals took the strongest approach on the issue.
Older Voters Oppose
There was one demographic that was even more telling than politics: age. The age gap here fell at about 25 years old, where support for the ban more than doubled. Most likely, these are young people who have lost loved ones to cigarettes, or at least people who have heard horror stories. Older voters have no doubt lost loved ones as well, but they've seen the decisions made first-hand, and have perhaps come to believe that those deaths were preventable by the deceased.
If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll about Vietnam's smoking ban. We'd love to hear from you!
someone must be paid to clean up the mess afterward. Unfortunately, the cigarette method costs thousands of times the amounts that the first two methods do. So, I think
the intense discouragement of smoking is the most sensible and reasonable of all suicide
prevention measures.
Perhaps, as an alternative, cheap single shot pistols or cyanide pills could be given to those intent on taking their own life, with assurances they will be used only in the privacy of one's home.
Three cheers for Vietnam.
In my country we already have packets of cigarettes costing $25, a ban on smoking 'inside' public buildings and at train stations, a ban on smoking in the car (if there is a child in the car), a ban on smoking in pubs, bars and clubs including cigar clubs and a minimum age for buying cigarettes.
Smoking has already been forced outside, in the fresh air, it cant hurt anyone but the smoker now.
Did you know that obesity is actually the leading cause of death (in my country anyway), perhaps we should ban junk food and force restaurants to only serve healthy food, the only place that people would be able to have food that is bad for them is in the home, no that is far to extreme isn't it.
As for "dying eventually", it is not surprising how one's attitude toward that event changes as it approaches. Assuming reasonably good health and a decent lifestyle, it is not somethng to wish for.
Smoking affects any one near the smoker. Smoking since it has been banned in public places, seems to make more smokers quit. I've seen it happen all over. It is a good thing even if they smoke only outside - that means they have actually to think about a cigarette and move themselves outdoors. Before, they would light up one after another, without even thinking what they were doing to themselves and others around them. My dad was one of those... he would set up the next cigarette before the other was finished. When you asked what he was doing, that he just finished one.. he'd said, Oh, I did?
"Outside of the smoking demographic, there were a couple of very strong correlations. Politics, for example, brought out a 36% difference in opinion. Only 36% of conservatives felt a complete public smoking ban would be a good idea, while exactly twice the percentage of liberals felt the same. Usually, progressives and libertarians prove to be extremes, but in this case liberals took the strongest approach on the issue."
Again, smoke your deadly addictions in your own home.