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Bill: Tobacco Regulation Act of May 2071; updated April 2072
Details
Submitted by[?]: Primitivist Ethno-Heathen Alliance
Status[?]: defeated
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: September 2073
Description[?]:
| Although current laws prohibit the smoking of tobacco in public places and restrict it's sale to minors, cigarette smoking remains an incredibly significant health risk. As such it is proposed that the sale and consumption of cigarettes be completely outlawed for the good of the people of Davostan. The bill will first call for an amnesty period of 6 months, during which time users of the drug will be encouraged to hand in all the tobacco they own to the relevent authorities for it's destruction. Law enforcement agencies will at the same time work to actively gather and destroy all stores of cigarettes and other tobacco products already iwithin the country, and then stop all imports of such products from other nations. Tobacco companies' will be ordered to pay a suitable amount of the profits they gained from the sale of tobacco to the government in order to fund the new law, before they are shut down and their share holders reimbursed for their losses. A custodial sentence will be set for those found importing or growing the plant, the length of which will depend on the amount being produced. People found to be selling tobacco will also face a short period in jail, and those found in posession of or using the drug after the amnesty period will pay a heavy fine. This will be accompanied by a government sponsored media campaign that highlights the extreme dangers in using tobacco, with information about the dangers of smoking also being included in the campaign of drug awareness already taught in schools. |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change Government policy towards smoking.
Old value:: Smoking is legal outdoors and in private homes and clubs, but illegal indoors in places of employment, with the exception of places that primarily serve liquor.
Current: Smoking is only allowed in private homes and clubs.
Proposed: Smoking is legal outdoors and in private homes and clubs, but illegal indoors in all places of employment.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 22:12:04, June 24, 2005 CET | From |  Primitivist Ethno-Heathen Alliance | To | Debating the Tobacco Regulation Act of May 2071; updated April 2072 |
| Message | Is this proposal agreed with? Does anyone wish to argue for the continued legal status of this dangerous addictive substance? |
| Date | 23:10:24, June 24, 2005 CET | From | Neo Republican Party! | To | Debating the Tobacco Regulation Act of May 2071; updated April 2072 |
| Message | Yes, I am for FREEDOM! |
| Date | 23:19:06, June 24, 2005 CET | From | Primitivist Ethno-Heathen Alliance | To | Debating the Tobacco Regulation Act of May 2071; updated April 2072 |
| Message | "Freedom" is an odd concept to apply to an adictive drug. Nicotine is patently a harmful influence on the culture and people of our nation, that only exists because it limits peoples freedoms by causing them to become addicted to it. True freedom would mean that we would be "free" of its effects. |
| Date | 10:28:19, June 25, 2005 CET | From | Circuit Party | To | Debating the Tobacco Regulation Act of May 2071; updated April 2072 |
| Message | Outlawed?You must be kidding.What's next, prohibition of alcohol? Black market will flourish, and government will lose tax money. We suggest higher tax on tobacco products, if they like to smoke so much, they shouldn't mind spending an extra buck. |
| Date | 20:20:45, June 25, 2005 CET | From | Rational Green Alliance | To | Debating the Tobacco Regulation Act of May 2071; updated April 2072 |
| Message | Freedom to damage oneself is an abuse of that freedom. It is an excess that must be curbed. |
| Date | 11:31:55, June 26, 2005 CET | From | Patriarchal Party | To | Debating the Tobacco Regulation Act of May 2071; updated April 2072 |
| Message | How would this be enforced? I will only vote for this bill if a sound method of enforcement is presented. Personally, I believe that banning the consumption of any product is impossible to enforce; all we can do is educate the population about the dangers or alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, etc. |
| Date | 13:58:58, June 26, 2005 CET | From | Primitivist Ethno-Heathen Alliance | To | Debating the Tobacco Regulation Act of May 2071; updated April 2072 |
| Message | Patriarchal Party: I have added information about the way that this law will be carried out. |
| Date | 01:13:31, June 27, 2005 CET | From | Patriarchal Party | To | Debating the Tobacco Regulation Act of May 2071; updated April 2072 |
| Message | From your amendment: "The bill will first call for law enforcement agencies to gather and destroy all cigarette and other tobacco products already in the country, and stop all imports of such products." How would this be carried out? We have a population of over 40m: how could we possibly destroy all the tobacco owned by 40m people? Your ideas are very good, but the practical side of such a law is intractable. Personally, I believe that drugs in general should be decriminalised and that it should be the government's job to inform people about the dangers of their use. |
| Date | 01:28:52, June 27, 2005 CET | From | Primitivist Ethno-Heathen Alliance | To | Debating the Tobacco Regulation Act of May 2071; updated April 2072 |
| Message | There would most likely be a period of amnesty in which tobacco may be handed into the relevent authorities in their area for destruction. As all smokers know the risks to their own health from the drug, it is only sensible that they take this opportunity to comply. I'll add the information on amnesty to the bill as well... |
| Date | 16:14:19, June 27, 2005 CET | From | Patriarchal Party | To | Debating the Tobacco Regulation Act of May 2071; updated April 2072 |
| Message | I still believe that this would be toom complicated to enforce and, as you have know defined the sentence for possession as a jail sentence, the Davostani jail population is likely to greatly increase too. If there is going to be an amnesty, it would have to be longer than 6 months, but I'm still against this on the above principle. |
| Date | 01:09:00, June 28, 2005 CET | From | Primitivist Ethno-Heathen Alliance | To | Debating the Tobacco Regulation Act of May 2071; updated April 2072 |
| Message | I'm not sure how well this is going to go down, but I'm going to put it into voting anyway. I think people should seriously consider this. |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||||||||
| yes | Total Seats: 0 | ||||||||
| no |
Total Seats: 468 | ||||||||
| abstain | Total Seats: 0 |
| Random fact: In cases where players introduce RP laws to a nation and then leave, Moderation reserves the discretion to declare the RP laws void if they appear to have fallen into disuse. In particular, please bear in mind that a player who is inexperienced with Particracy role-play and has joined a nation as the only party there should not generally be expected to abide by RP laws implemented by previous players who have been and left. |
| Random quote: "A democracy that does not allow limits is not a democracy. Just as a limitless freedom is not freedom, but prevarication. Indeed, any theory of freedom worthy of this name is first of all a limit theory. If we extend the unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not willing to defend a tolerant society against the attacks of the intolerants, then the tolerants will be destroyed and the tolerance with them! Because, I ask to myself and ask you, given a certain system that we call democratic, which is today the best possible system to allow everyone to live freely and to be able to express their own thoughts, how can the same system admit attacks against its integrity? How can a system refuse the principle of the self-preservation? For this reason, to suppress the apologetics of thalerrism, it's for this reason that the exaltation of exegetes, principles, facts or methods of Thallerism and its anti-democratic aims does not constitute a violation of the freedom of manifestation of thought, but, on the contrary, the celebration of that freedom. The protection of the first premise on which a modern democratic system is based. And this premise must be safeguarded also and above all against itself and its abuses." ~ Malik Astori, Leadership of Liberty and Progress (Istalia) |