Simon Chapman, a professor from the University of Sydney says the government should introduce a "smoker's license" as well as reward those who quit smoking.
A report published in the Journal Nature in 2001 predicted that more than one billion people would die of smoking-related diseases this century. In spite of the prediction, Simon Chapman, a professor from the University of Sydney believes very little or nothing has been done to effectively stop the sale and usage of tobacco.
"In contrast to the highly regulated way we allow access to life-saving and health-enhancing pharmaceuticals, this is how we regulate access to a product that kills half its long-term users," professor Chapman wrote in the introduction to his paper. "There would seem to be a case for redressing this bizarre but historically based inconsistency."
According to the professor the concept of a "smoker's license" should be introduced. Chapman said this license could be in the form of a swipe card which could also restrict a smoker from buying more than a certain number of cigarettes a day. This would serve two purposes. Firstly, a smoker's consumption on tobacco could be restricted to a certain amount and secondly, it could be an effective way of ensuring good public heath to a certain extent.
The issuing of this license would require the smoker to go through a test which will ascertain that he or she is aware of the risks and implications of smoking. He would also need to swipe his license each time he purchases a cigarette so as to keep a check on the number of cigarettes he buys a day.
Chapman is of the opinion that this concept could be of high interest "high-income nations that are actively pursuing tobacco control goals." He also says that the government should make it mandatory that no retailer can sell tobacco to anyone without this license. If they do, there should be severely penalized.
"Penalties for sales to unlicensed persons would be severe," he explained. "With the threat of the loss of a retail license, as is now the case for pharmacists supplying restricted drugs to anyone without a prescription."
