Pacitalia
02-01-2006, 22:22
From La Repubblica Oggia
http://www.rferl.org/images/photo/SINGAPORE-EU-PRODI-LECTU-34.jpg
PSC leader Fernando Chiovitti blasted the
governing FPD Monday, calling a nationwide
ban on smoking 'authoritarian' and 'infractious'.
Chiovitti goes ape over FPD 'New Year's Resolution'
by Alberto Canazzari, Positano
Fernando Chiovitti wasted no time in starting his side of the campaign to the federal election. Speaking to a crowd of university students at the Universitato Positano della Studia Spagnati (Spanish University of Positano), a school of 7,000, Mr Chiovitti claimed a nationwide ban on the sale, consumption and possession of tobacco was "an attempt from the far-right faction of the FPD to limit Pacitalian civil rights and squander any reputation we had around the world for being a free country".
"Pacitalians expect nothing less than maximised civil rights and political freedoms from their government," Chiovitti said. "Your government is not providing that for you - it's a shame, but it's the unfortunate truth. This ban is a black eye on the Pacitalian reputation, and we must punish this government on 25th January for causing such an injury."
FPD leader-elect Constantino Sorantanali shot back - he was campaigning at various secondary schools in Sambuca. "I find it a little odd that Mr Chiovitti seems to have simply skipped over the blatantly obvious health benefits of banning smoking, and the fact that this ban is a trial run, not a permanent run. It's way too early and way too quick to be doing permanent bans like that."
Political scientists in Pacitalia are shaking with confused excitement at the fact that a pro-economic political party is, in effect, hurting the economy by banning tobacco, even for a trial run, while a left-wing party is the one attempting to nail the coffin shut on this issue.
"This legislation would be more forthcoming from a leftist party, while the rightist party would be the one defending the economic interests above all else," Dr. Alfonso Labarbera, political science faculty head at the University of Murano, said Monday. "This ban may just be the FPD's way of taking legislative initiative away from an upstart PSC."
As Mr Sorantanali said, the ban on smoking is not permanent - simply a trial run lasting until 1st June. PCIA agents will keep tobacco from entering Pacitalia through roads, railways, airports and seaports; the Ministry of Health has placed tobacco on its banned substance list for that six months (the ban went into effect at 12.01am yesterday). Citizens are allowed to finish the packs that they have left but will not be able to buy, smoke or possess tobacco after the fluff date of 1st February.
A similar but more long-term ban on tobacco was enacted by the Yaforites last year. If the Pacitalian version is successful, the government expects around 55 million people will have used their quit-smoking programme (including free optional counselling and nicotine gum or patch supplies) to varying degrees of success. The Ministry of Health hopes that at least 30 million will have permanently quit smoking by the end of the ban.
Pacitalia's smoking population has decreased 54% since 1996.
http://www.rferl.org/images/photo/SINGAPORE-EU-PRODI-LECTU-34.jpg
PSC leader Fernando Chiovitti blasted the
governing FPD Monday, calling a nationwide
ban on smoking 'authoritarian' and 'infractious'.
Chiovitti goes ape over FPD 'New Year's Resolution'
by Alberto Canazzari, Positano
Fernando Chiovitti wasted no time in starting his side of the campaign to the federal election. Speaking to a crowd of university students at the Universitato Positano della Studia Spagnati (Spanish University of Positano), a school of 7,000, Mr Chiovitti claimed a nationwide ban on the sale, consumption and possession of tobacco was "an attempt from the far-right faction of the FPD to limit Pacitalian civil rights and squander any reputation we had around the world for being a free country".
"Pacitalians expect nothing less than maximised civil rights and political freedoms from their government," Chiovitti said. "Your government is not providing that for you - it's a shame, but it's the unfortunate truth. This ban is a black eye on the Pacitalian reputation, and we must punish this government on 25th January for causing such an injury."
FPD leader-elect Constantino Sorantanali shot back - he was campaigning at various secondary schools in Sambuca. "I find it a little odd that Mr Chiovitti seems to have simply skipped over the blatantly obvious health benefits of banning smoking, and the fact that this ban is a trial run, not a permanent run. It's way too early and way too quick to be doing permanent bans like that."
Political scientists in Pacitalia are shaking with confused excitement at the fact that a pro-economic political party is, in effect, hurting the economy by banning tobacco, even for a trial run, while a left-wing party is the one attempting to nail the coffin shut on this issue.
"This legislation would be more forthcoming from a leftist party, while the rightist party would be the one defending the economic interests above all else," Dr. Alfonso Labarbera, political science faculty head at the University of Murano, said Monday. "This ban may just be the FPD's way of taking legislative initiative away from an upstart PSC."
As Mr Sorantanali said, the ban on smoking is not permanent - simply a trial run lasting until 1st June. PCIA agents will keep tobacco from entering Pacitalia through roads, railways, airports and seaports; the Ministry of Health has placed tobacco on its banned substance list for that six months (the ban went into effect at 12.01am yesterday). Citizens are allowed to finish the packs that they have left but will not be able to buy, smoke or possess tobacco after the fluff date of 1st February.
A similar but more long-term ban on tobacco was enacted by the Yaforites last year. If the Pacitalian version is successful, the government expects around 55 million people will have used their quit-smoking programme (including free optional counselling and nicotine gum or patch supplies) to varying degrees of success. The Ministry of Health hopes that at least 30 million will have permanently quit smoking by the end of the ban.
Pacitalia's smoking population has decreased 54% since 1996.