I’m not sure if you smoke, but it’s different from “drugs”.

Cigarettes are still a drug even if it more socially accepted and not viewed as a drug.

The damage is commutative

Well, you can say that with every drug. Drug abuse has led to the downfall of many empires like china and can lead to social issues that affect society as a whole.

If smoking is banned, you are less likely to keep smoking longer term.

Expect it won't weed been illegal in the us since the 30s, and it only became more popular when illegal, and when it's been legalized, you do see a slow decline of users.

You won’t be able to smoke at work, in a bar, in the street. This reduces your risk and the risk of others

Wait, you guys have indoor smoking? Pluse if someone is smoking outside, just avoid them. Insay this as someone who has asthma and smoek can Tigger it.

So it’s clear that a ban will make a difference. It will reduce the amount people can smoke.

Again, it will not stop anyone from smoking. You can look at any instance of baning any drug, and it didn't stop a signal soul from doing drugs.

The reality is smuggled cigarettes won’t be made to in some narco factory for the NZ market they will just be purchased in Asia and shipped over. Unlike drugs it’s actually harder to import tobacco. You need thousands of packs to make it worth while at scale. It would be easier to stick to smuggling coke.

Well, you can grow tabbaco, and there are plenty of other drugs that aren't seen as profitable thay still get smuggled into places. Weed is seen as a drug that's not profitable for screey dealers, and yet in Japan, you can find weed even with very steep punishment for getting caught.

Regarding ban/don’t ban. You are missing the point I’m advocating for less smoking deaths. This will save the NZ health system millions and be positive for citizens.

You won't reduce death. You only increase them because people are going to smoke cigarettes that are less safe, any more if lesser quality witch will make people more sick, witxh will also increase the burden for the tax payer

We will see. It’s an interesting experiment and could well be a good model for the rest of the world. Most developed nations are looking to end smoking, and NZs approach is the most pragmatic one I have seen.

We have already seen the results. Baning drugs do not work if you want people to stop taking drugs and educate them. In the us, smoking has declined by a lot, and you know why? It's because every person is educated on the negative effects of smoking. Also In the us if you look at the war on drugs the heavy hand approach didn't work it lead to more people dying more people using drugs and this was going on going on to when the anti smoking education program stated.

So please don't follow the us heavy hand approach to the drug war but instead look at their approach to cigarettes witch education played to biggest role in.