"The profound thinker always suspects that he is superficial."  Benjamin Disraeli

There's only a few weeks before New Zealand bars and restaurants become smoke free.
Despite there being ample evidence from overseas that bars are suffering a downturn in trade. The 75% of the population, the Jackass Mentality,  who don't smoke and rarely visit bars, has forced their opinion upon smokers who are the backbone of the bar industry.  The group of politicians (select committee) that investigated the matter have shown their deliberations were little more than a cover up.  Evidence from air-conditioning experts that quiet and efficient smoke extractors were cheaply available and would solve the passive smoking problem, were ignored.  Only 400 submissions were received over four years and you can guarantee that axe grinders and those seeking to profit were the majority contributors.  Anybody that suggested that smoking and drinking have been soul mates for hundreds of years and that trying to change human nature was ridiculous, were regarded as social misfits.

The US tried to change society after the WW1 with National Prohibition.  No booze allowed anywhere.  This led to massive underground speakeasy bars selling smuggled booze.  This set the Al Capone types up in the gangster business that continues to this day.  Eventually the authorities realised they were losing the battle and the ban was wisely cancelled.

Nobody disputes that smoking can be harmful.  However, the medical evidence we all took
for granted, has been shown to be somewhat flawed.  Various scientific studies have
concluded that the genes we inherit appear to be the major culprits.  Inherit the wrong genes and if you smoke, you have a 10-15% chance of getting lung cancer.  The remaining 85% of smokers die peacefully of old age.  Non smokers with the wrong genes also get lung cancer. Thus it is wrong to conclusively state that smoking is the cause of lung cancer.  It is not.  But the political lies continue.

Personally, I don't want to live in a dictatorship controlled by the non thinking Jackass
Mentality.  Many thousands of New Zealanders died defending our freedoms and human
rights in many wars.  By introducing a smoking ban means that their lives were wasted.  One must also remember that politicians have killed more people that smoking ever will.  There have also been a number of senior NZ politicians stood down for fraud and similar charges. Their arrogance shows they are vulnerable to self interest influences. Why should we allow dishonest people to control our lives?  Perhaps we should ban all politicians?

The Jackass Mentality will agree with anything politicians say as long as it doesn't affect
them personally.  Their sole interest is themselves and they couldn't give a damn about
smokers rights.  I seriously challenge non smokers to buy or start their own bars and try to
earn a living catering to their fellow non smokers.  What they don't realise is that only 15% of the population ever visit bars and the vast majority are smokers.  In the booze business, non smokers are the minority.  Yet we have the minority dictating to the majority.

NZ can expect underground smoking speakeasies and an increased level of violence at private functions.  There will be downturn in employment in the booze business and price increases to subsidize the lack of customers.  This will cause many local bars to close.  This situation is already happening in other countries with smoking bans.  Sadly, officialdom continues to deny such happenings and say tax income is increasing, thus the industry is flourishing.  Did you ever see the tax on booze decrease?  The downturns are there for all to see, but there are none so blind as those who will not see.

The national anthem is called God Defend New Zealand.  God might have to defend NZ,
because bar owners and one million smokers won't lift a finger.  The Jackass Mentality
should remember that it's the smokers taxes that supply their old age health care funding.  But I doubt they can see that far ahead.