[GA - at vote, against] Repeal “On Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes”

---

The World Assembly,

Appreciative of the intention of GA 459, "On Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes" to reduce rates of addiction to nicotine and the long-term health effects of tobacco, and

Noting the creation and passage of GA 643, "Reducing Addiction", which takes more broad steps toward reducing the pervasiveness of addiction, and GA 657, "World Psychoactive Drug Act", which legalized the recreational use of all psychoactive drugs, which includes the specific drugs and substances regulated by GA 459, and

Recognizing several flaws in GA 459, such as:

1. Micromanagement of these specific drugs fails to take into consideration the diverse needs of member-nations, and that attempts to institute one-size-fits-all legislation to reduce addiction and other negative side effects of tobacco and nicotine are largely ineffective when stacked against GA 643 and other comparable resolutions;
2. The actual regulation regarding packaging of the goods has size and language requirements, but fails to implement a more general readability and visibility requirement, which allows genuinely malicious or villainously profit-driven entities from making these warnings nigh-impossible to read, even if fulfilling the correct size and language required by the resolution;
3. Decisions which are definitionally driven by each nation's unique circumstances, such as the extent to which anti-smoking advertisements are used and promulgated, require nations to spend additional funds which may create significant economic burden to some, regardless of how large of a problem they actually would solve;
4. The final binding clause gives nations two choices in what the topic of their informational campaigns shall be, one of which is to endorse other products, such as electronic cigarettes, showcasing a clear bias toward that particular product as no other product is listed, when such a bias is not necessarily indicative of anti-addiction facts or any practical interest, potentially as a result of an electronic cigarette lobby;

Believing that these resolutions merit repeal of the GA 457, and that such repeal will be adequately covered by other extant legislation, therefore

Repeals GA 459, "On Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes".

Click to expand...

Note: Only votes from TNP WA nations, NPA personnel, and those on NPA deployments will be counted. If you do not meet these requirements, please add (non-WA) or something of that effect to your vote. If you are on an NPA deployment without being formally registered as an NPA member, name your deployed nation in your vote.

---

Voting Instructions:

• Vote For if you want the Delegate to vote For the resolution.
• Vote Against if you want the Delegate to vote Against the resolution.
• Vote Abstain if you want the Delegate to abstain from voting on this resolution.
• Vote Present if you are personally abstaining from this vote.

Detailed opinions with your vote are appreciated and encouraged!

---

Overview
This resolution proposal seeks to repeal On Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes (GAR459), on the grounds that GAR459 serves to mitigate nicotine addiction and the adverse health effects associated with tobacco. This repeal is based on the ineffectiveness of GAR459's focus on an one-size-fits-all approach, loopholes in packaging regulations, economic strain placed on member nations, and potential bias towards electronic cigarettes. It also notes that broader resolutions, such as Reducing Addiction (GAR643) and World Psychoactive Drug Act (GAR657) encompassing the issues covered by On Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes (GAR459).

Recommendation
We believe it is important to retain some specific regulations regarding Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes to safeguard public health. GAR459's detailed provisions such as forming consumers about the risks related with these products and requires awareness campaigns about the hazards posed by the uses of tobacco and nicotine which is aimed towards reducing the rate of smoking.
For the above reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a Against the at-vote GA Resolution, Repeal "On Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes".

Against. I personally have a very strong anti-smoking and anti-drug use stance, but I recognise that views may differ. My idea of a repeal is for a stronger replacement, not the grounds citied here. So I support repeal but not on the grounds cited.

Against

For

Against

Against

Against

Against

Against.

Against.

I don’t see what the argument in clause 1 is driving at. The target Resolution can appropriately sit within a landscape of other resolutions using other means towards the same end.

Clause 2 may be more convincing if the intention behind this was a more stringent replacement but judging by the drafting thread that is not so. In any event, it would seem to me open to member states to resolve this issue if companies in their jurisdiction seek to evade the requirements of the Resolution.

Clause 3 is unconvincing, the Resolution does not require a particular level of expenditure. While some expense will clearly be required, it seems to me unlikely that campaigns at the minimum level to meet the objective would create significant economic burden on a national scale.

Clause 4 pointedly ignores that alternative products are included as an option alternative to cessation of smoking. Plainly electronic cigarettes were identified as a measure for harm reduction if cessation was not achievable.

EDIT: to spell “companies” correctly

Against

Against

For

Against

For, also this is at vote now.

Against