Reversal of smoking ban criticised as ā€˜shamefulā€™ for lacking evidence

New Zealand is repealing the worldā€™s first smoking ban passed under former prime minister Jacinda Ardenā€™s government to pave the way for a smoke-free generation amid backlash from researchers and campaigners over its risk to Indigenous people.

The new coalition government led by prime minister Christopher Luxon confirmed the repeal will happen on Tuesday, delivering on one of the actions of his coalitionā€™s ambitious 100-day plan.

The government repeal will be put before parliament as a matter of urgency, enabling it to scrap the law without seeking public comment, in line with previously announced plans.

  • Dasus@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    Ā·
    9 months ago

    ā€œWorst insultsā€? :D

    Thanks for letting me know youā€™re offended, those are apt descriptors, not attempts at insults. I could show you some actual insults, but thatā€™d be rude and against the rules.

    There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Thatā€™s it.

    You can equivocate all you want that ā€œthere isnā€™t enough evidenceā€, but donā€™t be surprised when people laugh at you, since thatā€™s exactly the thing the tobacco companies have been trying to repeat for almost a century. ā€œNoo, the evidence isnā€™t in yet!ā€ Yes, it is.

    yet only 24% of nonsmokers report being exposed to smoke at all outdoors

    Ah yes, asking people ā€œwere you bothered by smokeā€ definitely proves that they werenā€™t exposed to any smoke at all. Itā€™s not like peopleā€™s subjective experiences are worse than objective science.

    All smoke-exposure is harmful. When you prove there is a level of smoke exposure thatā€™s safe, then you have an argument. Before that, you donā€™t. You simply do not. Youā€™re exactly like a Flat Earther, who refuses to believe the evidence in favour of some contrived bullshit that doesnā€™t even support the facts they think it does.

    ā€œLook at the actual data.ā€

    Itā€™s honestly hilarious how you keep stomping your foot, crying ā€œno no no no no muh dataā€, but you donā€™t even have any, and then you pretend like some data on reported experiences about the levels of smoke they were exposed to proves that smoke exposure isnā€™t harmful?

    My stomach is hurting Iā€™m laughing so much :DDD

    • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      1
      Ā·
      9 months ago

      You can equivocate all you want that ā€œthere isnā€™t enough evidenceā€, but donā€™t be surprised when people laugh at you

      The laughter of idiots is equivalent to the approval of thinking people. So, thank you.

      Now that youā€™re arguing against the concept of data, where do we go from here? I mean if you fundamentally disagree with reality, wellā€¦dunno what to tell you dude. The data ainā€™t saying what you want it to. That sucks. But it is what it is.

      • Dasus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        Ā·
        edit-2
        9 months ago

        Again, there is no safe level of exposure to smoke.

        There is no level of smoke exposure that is safe.

        No level of exposure to smoke is safe. Outdoors or indoors.

        That has been proved, objectively, for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times.

        What you donā€™t see is that Iā€™ve been asking ā€œwhat is your argumentā€ for several comments, but you simply do not have one. Youā€™re trying to equivocate that ā€œb-bb-but there are no studies which studied only outdoors exposure and that is actually safe because thereā€™s no evidence to prove that it isnā€™tā€, when we do have evidence proving that, since we have evidence that all smoke exposure is harmful. ā€œJust look at the data.ā€

        I could start pasting dozens of studies which have been done on this over almost a century, but youā€™re the one making the argument (or rather, not-making an argument, since you donā€™t actually have one, youā€™re just saying ā€œlol look thereā€™s no specific outdoors studies thus Iā€™m right in my non-argumentā€), so the burden of proof is on you.

        The irony in you saying ā€œthe conclusions arenā€™t supported by the dataā€, when they clearly show why it is, and then you being unable to actually explain why you think it isnā€™tā€¦ is again, h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s.

        Try to make an argument instead of this teenagey pseudointellectual equivocating and wannabe deep quotes. :D

        Why does subjective reports about peopleā€™s perceived level of smoke exposure matter in this conversation? Why does it invalidate the data that shows all smoke exposure is harmful?

        • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          Ā·
          9 months ago

          That has been proved, objectively

          Yet you canā€™t find a study showing it?

          Itā€™s reasonable to assume that a level of smoke particulate matter equal to that of areas in which there is no smoking is nonharmful. Right? Maybe a higher level is still not harmful but thereā€™s no data so we donā€™t know.

          My theory is that occasional outdoor smoke exposes you to particulate matter at such low concentrations, itā€™s indistinguishable from regular daily fluctuations when not exposed to smoke. Just a theory, because no real data, but I think itā€™s a reasonable one. The one study you linked about particulate matter in outdoor areas seems to support it.

          Also

          Why does subjective reports about peopleā€™s perceived level of smoke exposure matter in this conversation?

          Youā€™re the one who linked the study, dude, I just read it.

          • Dasus@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            0
            Ā·
            9 months ago

            The burden of proof is on you.

            Youā€™re the one screeching against established science. Youā€™re the one saying that ā€œthe data doesnā€™t support the conclusionsā€ while refusing to actually even make an argument.

            ā€œMy theoryā€

            You donā€™t seem to understand what the word means. Thatā€™s a hypothesis, and one not supported by any science, despite you saying that the conclusions of a peer-reviewed study isnā€™t supported by the data they have, that the data in fact supports your notion, but you still canā€™t seem to show how or why?

            So your argument is ā€œif youā€™re not exposed to smoke, then youā€™re not harmed by itā€? Wow. What a great argument. Unfortunately, when youā€™re exposed to smoke, no matter the amount, it is harmful. This has been proven time and time and time again, but despite you childishly arguing against it, you havenā€™t even tried looking if thereā€™s data available on it, because you know of course there is and it all proves you wrong.

            The burden of proof is on you. Youā€™re simply unable to produce any supporting evidence for any of your anti-vaxxer, flat-earth level garbage, instead preferring to write vague pseudointellectual garbage. :D

            https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2974716/

            #No level of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke [SHS] is safe. Even at the lowest detectable levels of exposure, we could detect changes in gene expression within the cells lining the airways

            https://news.ufl.edu/2023/09/secondhand-smoke-exposure/

            https://tobaccoatlas.org/challenges/secondhand-smoke/

            #It is widely recognized through scientific evidence that there is no safe level of exposure to SHS

            ā€œWidely recognised.ā€

            Almost as if thatā€™s what the evidence points towards and your pathetic little ā€œb-b-b-b-but what about if youā€™re only outdoors and youā€™re 100 meters upwind from the closest smoker so then youā€™re not exposed to smoke at all so then itā€™s safe so there is actually a safe level of second hand smoke exposure which is literally to not be exposed at all and thatā€™s my mighty smart argument that Iā€™m now making and the fact that thereā€™s a literal library full of studies which prove that there is no safe level of second hand smoke is completely irrelevant as Iā€™m not even gonna look at it Iā€™m just gonna pretend like I won the argument I didnā€™t even actually manage to makeā€

            SEe why Iā€™m entertained? D:DD

            • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              Ā·
              9 months ago

              you still canā€™t seem to show how or why?

              Thatā€™s a problem with your comprehension, not with my explanation.

              Run spell check please.

              • Dasus@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                Ā·
                9 months ago

                ā€¦ deep sigh

                So in your previous comment you ask ā€œbut you canā€™t find evidence for it?ā€ after Iā€™ve explained that you need to find the evidence, because the burden of proof is on you because youā€™re the one trying to argue against scientific consensus.

                Despite the burden of proof being on you, not me, I show you studies that show how widely recognised it is that there is no safe level of SHS exposure.

                You refuse to acknowledge it.

                So tell me, how exactly are you different from a Flat Earther or an Anti-vaxxer? Because you canā€™t seem to make an argument of any sort, youā€™re just grasping at something like ā€œno but see the measurements of exposure from an outdoor smoking area were almost as low asā€¦ā€ which isnā€™t an argument. Itā€™s an observation, that in no way disproves that all SHS is harmful.

                What arenā€™t you getting? Why are you ignoring when I show you proof? What is your argument? Oh you donā€™t have any so you end up with these childish games like pretending you didnā€™t see anything I just wrote and linked and are unable to Google ā€œis second hand smoke dangerousā€ yourself?

                Make. An. Argument. Please?

                But you wonā€™t.

                • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  1
                  Ā·
                  9 months ago

                  after Iā€™ve explained that you need to find the evidence

                  My entire point is that there is no evidence since thereā€™s no studies. You canā€™t prove a negative, but a massive analysis of previous studies comes close.

                  show you studies that show how widely recognised it is that there is no safe level of SHS exposure.

                  The studies donā€™t show that. They merely assert that, without the data to back it up. Thatā€™s what Iā€™ve been trying to tell you this whole time.

                  just grasping at something like ā€œno but see the measurements of exposure from an outdoor smoking area were almost as low asā€¦ā€ which isnā€™t an argument.

                  Thatā€™s absolutely an argument, and itā€™s not grasping at anything. What tiny amount of data we have on the subject does in fact support what Iā€™m saying. And Iā€™m not even saying itā€™s conclusive evidence, just some level of support that Iā€™m only bringing up for lack of real good data.

                  And you still havenā€™t sent any proof. You find a study, you read the conclusion, you throw it at me, I read the data, I throw that at you, you ignore it and find a new study, rinse and repeat.

                  I agree itā€™s very unfortunate that thereā€™s such a ridiculous bias in studiesā€™ conclusions. I suspect itā€™s related to funding and PR. We shouldnā€™t have to dig into the data of a study to see if it supports the conclusion that the authors wrote. But thatā€™s where weā€™re at.

                  I donā€™t think this is the norm. I hope not. I suspect smoking is just a very charged topic and no scientist wants to lose funding by being known as the guy who put out a pro-smoking study.

                  • Dasus@lemmy.world
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    Ā·
                    edit-2
                    9 months ago

                    No evidence of what? That second hand smoke is harmful? Are you on meth?

                    The studies donā€™t show that. They merely assert that, without the data to back it up.

                    ā€œNo, the science is wrong, and me, a childish person on a pseydoanonymous forum ASSERTING the science is wrong is more credible than the science they use to show their conclusions are backed up by the data. Oh and donā€™t even try to get me to actually comment on what I think is wrong in the data, because I havenā€™t even read it.ā€ - You

                    Thatā€™s absolutely an argument, and itā€™s not grasping at anything.

                    Yes, it is grasping. Because youā€™re not even refuting that SHS is harmful, youā€™re trying to assert that outdoors, there is no SHS, by trying to show concentrations measured. So implicitly, youā€™re admitting that any SHS IS harmful, because of course you are, because we all know that to be true, lol.

                    And you still havenā€™t sent any proof.

                    My stomach canā€™t take much more of this :DDD

                    See, you already ignored the studies when I only quote their conclusions and the most important parts of them. What on Earth are you gonna do when I paste the entire study here?

                    This is from this exact thread, 3 comments earlier:

                    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2974716/

                    #No level of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke [SHS] is safe. Even at the lowest detectable levels of exposure, we could detect changes in gene expression within the cells lining the airways

                    https://news.ufl.edu/2023/09/secondhand-smoke-exposure/

                    https://tobaccoatlas.org/challenges/secondhand-smoke/

                    #It is widely recognized through scientific evidence that there is no safe level of exposure to SHS

                    ā€œWidely recognised.ā€

                    Show me ANY STUDY WHATSOEVER that says that there is a SAFE level of second hand smoke. Please. Iā€™ve been waiting and asking for several comments now. Oh and, a bit too ashamed to answer the comment where you talk about ā€œyou need to understand thereā€™s a huge bias with tobaccoā€¦ā€ when I replied to it with this? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3490543/

                    #Inventing Conflicts of Interest: A History of Tobacco Industry Tactics

                    By the early 1960sā€”despite categorical research findings indicating the harms of smokingā€”a significant ā€œcontroversyā€ had arisen (at the behest of the tobacco industry) over the validity and meaning of these findings. Indeed, given the widespread acceptance of the conclusion, especially among those who had analyzed and evaluated the research most closely, the persistence of debate about the harms of smoking is a striking demonstration of the powerful impact of the tobacco industryā€™s public relations campaign. The industry insistence, at the direction of Hill & Knowlton, on the notion of no proof and the need for more research was an inspired if cynical manipulation of the natural tendencies within science to encourage skepticism and seek more complete answers to important questions.

                    Completely unlike what youā€™re doing, amirite? :DDDDDD Thatā€™s what is so hilarious; youā€™re using century old rhetoric. Itā€™s like arguing someone whoā€™s genuinely insistent that ā€œreefer madnessā€ is a thing :DDD

                    You havenā€™t linked a single study of any sort. You just keep stomping your foot and saying ā€œNYAAAH NO NO NO THEYā€™RE WRONG AND I DONā€™T NEED TO TELL YOU HOW THEYā€™RE WRONG THEYā€™RE JUST ANGRY AT SMOKERS NYAAAAHā€