Almost two-thirds of Norwegians think tobacco sales should be banned from anyone born after the year 2000.
That’s according to a Respons Analyse poll conducted on behalf of the Norwegian Medical Association (NMA). The policy was initially put forward by the NMA back in January.
The NMA, which is Norway’s biggest medical group, wants to see a tobacco-free generation by 2035. The proposal is one of the most radical and draconian tobacco control measures contemplated anywhere in the advanced world, with six out of 10 Norwegians supporting the policy — just 31 percent oppose it.
“It is not a basic human right to begin using tobacco,” said Norwegian Medical Association President Marit Hermansen. “We have long had the policy of phasing out smoking by 2035. This is a measure to achieve this goal.”
The Norwegian government has no plans to introduce a tobacco ban, according to Health Minister Bent Hoie. Creating a tobacco-free generation by 2035 may be easier said than done.
Prohibition has a notoriously bad history, while other tobacco control measures, such as constant tax increases, have unintended consequences — like spawning a huge black market for cigarettes.
New York is reaping the whirlwind of sky-high cigarette taxes, with a wave of smuggling decimating the state’s revenue. New York holds the dubious honor of having the highest cigarette taxes in the country, with the average pack of smokes in New York City costing as much as $10.60.
New York raised taxes on cigarettes to $4.35 in 2010 from $2.75. In total, cigarette taxes have increased by 190 percent since 2006. The sharp rise has resulted in a raft of unintended consequences that are dealing a significant blow to the state’s finances.
New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli reports New York’s revenue from cigarette taxes has plunged by $400 million over the past five years.
The UK lost almost $3 billion in uncollected tax revenue in 2014. UK tobacco taxes are some of the highest in Europe and the government has approved plain packaging of cigarette packs, removing any identifiable branding.
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