Smoking
My wife smokes. She is a considerate smoker. She never asks, "do you mind if I smoke in your presence?" She goes away and smokes where it cannot hurt anyone else. This is often very inconvenient. What's worse her health is shot. But unfortunately she is addicted and stopping has, so far, proved impossible. She has said that she wishes cigarettes had not been available 40 years ago.
We had an opportunity to save future generations. There was no question of banning smokers. Instead the idea was to stop people becoming smokers. Of course the tobacco lobby screamed and applied pressure. But we had a strong government who said, "No! Our people's health comes first." Unfortunately the current government caved in.
All sorts of stupid arguments were raised. One of the best looked at 20 years time. Imagine two forty year olds. The older can go into a shop and buy cigarettes. The younger is banned. But look at it more closely. The elder is spending $500 a week, coughing his guts out while trying vapes and patches. Meanwhile the younger, who is not addicted, has a larger disposable income and better health.
Perhaps I'm being unfair on the government. Perhaps they didn't just cravenly cave in. Several had worked for the tobacco companies in the past. Whilst they aren't being paid now (that would be an illegal conflict of interest) what happens when they retire? In the UK there was the 'revolving door syndrome'. Government ministers would hand out favours and then when they left office, suddenly they became non-executive directors.
Poll: Have you ever been bullied?
People associate bullying with children in schools, but it can actually stretch beyond childhood to workplaces or neighbourhoods.
This Friday is Pink Shirt Day, which began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a new student was harassed for wearing pink. People across the globe are now encouraged to wear pink on this day to take a stand against bullying and promote inclusivity.
Have you or your whānau ever experienced bullying? Share your thoughts on Pink Shirt Day below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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80.1% Yes
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19.6% No
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0.4% Other - I'll share below
Whangarei Film Society - screenings for Thursday May 23rd
Good People
On Thursday, the 23rd May at 6pm, WFS will be screening the doco on the NZ modernist artist, Frances Hodgkins in Anything But A Still Life.
Our 8pm screening will be the Oscar winning film (Best International Picture), Riceboy Sleeps.
FRANCES HODGKINS: ANYTHING BUT A STILL LIFE
NZ, 2023, Documentary, 90 mins
This documentary explores the life and art of celebrated New Zealand painter, Frances Hodgkins.
From her time in art school in London in the early 1900s, when one of her paintings became the first work by a New Zealander to be hung at the Royal Academy of Arts, to her time in Paris where she taught at Colarossi's academy as the first woman instructor.
It was during her time in France that Hodgkins was influenced by the styles of Matisse and Derain but quickly developed her own highly personal style, which embraced modernist hallmarks.
Over the decades, Hodgkins work became highly respected, as she worked alongside artists including Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Henry Moore.
At the peak of her career, before returning to NZ, Hodgkins was considered a key figure in British Modernism and a role model for women artists everywhere.
Showing at Forum North, 7 Rust Ave Whangarei on Thursday 23rd May at 6pm and TUESDAY (not Thursday) 28th May at 8pm.
Tickets: Door sales only. $10 WFS members. $15 Non members.
View the trailer at: www.youtube.com...
Tickets: Door sales only. Price: $10 for WFS members, $15 for non members.
Cash only please - no Eftpos/credit card services available.
Visit whangareifilmsociety.org and sign up for our free weekly email for information on the rest of our films and screening dates for 2024.
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