Prebble on tobacco fuelled crime

Richard Prebble writes at NZ Herald:

Crime is going to get a lot worse. In the end-of-year rush of legislation, Labour, the Greens and the Māori Party passed the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill.

The minister claims the bill will reduce nicotine in cigarettes, reduce the number of outlets able to sell cigarettes from 6000 to just 600 and make it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born after January 1, 2009. Actually, Labour has legislated to make New Zealand the only country to have prohibition for smoking.

Prohibition in America was a spectacular failure. Crime boomed. Alcohol consumption increased.

You almost have to wonder if the Government is working for the gangs, because that is who will benefit the most from prohibition.