Today, Niue is on the road to the world’s first national tobacco ban:

Niue Coastline by fearlessRich @ flickr.com

From The Independent:

Sitaleki Finau, Niue’s director of health, is backing a bill to prohibit smoking and the sale of tobacco in public areas and private homes.

[...]

“Small countries are allowed to be ambitious,” he said yesterday. “If a small country can do this, then big countries will start thinking. Imagine what that means.”

Yes, you go right on ahead and imagine what that means. Oh, there will be some minor penalty, maybe a small fine, for smoking. Maybe jail time for the big criminals who are importing or producing cigarettes. Not so bad, when you can forget so easily that the penalty is always death.

Niue’s 250 smokers (out of a population of 1,400) may or may not care that much. Most of the island nation’s people pissed off for New Zealand long ago anyway.

Due to its association with New Zealand, Niue is part of the British Commonwealth, ultimately ruled by Queen Elizabeth II. Who knows what other democratic-socialist monarchies might decide to follow Niue’s example with smoking bans of their own?

From The Sun:

Tobacco Riot in East Midlands – Bare Breast Sighted

Just kidding.

Ah, poor Niue. I wonder if any of the islanders have studied the history of government at all? If so, they might dream wistfully of that bygone age when such “ambition” as Mr. Finau expresses met its end at the guillotine or gallows.

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