The Finnish government took further measures for public health earlier this month by proposing a ban on smoking in private cars with underage occupants and prohibiting stores from displaying tobacco products.
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Health experts for the Seventh-day Adventist Church supported the move, citing the church's long-time emphasis on health and wellness.
"Any measure that makes a substance a little more difficult to acquire ... has been shown to result in a decreased consumption of the product," said Allan Handysides, director of heath ministries for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "There's a linear association between the amount of the product used and the amount of the disease that we see in the whole community."
What people don't realize when they start smoking is that giving up the habit is just as difficult as giving up cocaine or heroin, Handysides said.
Handysides added that making tobacco products less visible was key.
"It's a psychological impediment to it being so readily accessible, and that's a very, very good thing," he said.
Finland's ruling party in parliament is championing the anti-smoking legislation and faces little opposition from other parties, the BBC reported. The proposed laws will likely be implemented by summer.
"To make Finland a smoke-free country is probably the boldest goal ever against smoking from the [Finnish] health authorities," said Atte Helminen, president for the Adventist Church in Finland. "It is great to see how the health principles [the church] has promoted for so long are now recognized by the government as well."
The Finnish parliament first outlawed tobacco advertising in 1976.
Thank God for what ADRA is doing in Haiti. May God continue to bless all the donors and the management.
While it's not healthy to smoke, I don't think the Adventist Church should be on the side of those making laws to force people to live the way one thinks they should. The Adventist Church should preach a healthy lifestyle. Even more important, it should preach Christ. When people accept Him everything else will fall into place. He will work out our salvation.
Atte Helminen: "It is great to see how the health principles [the church] has promoted for so long are now recognized by the government as well."
I am shocked that the Adventist president in Finland is so openly looking for the government to be on his side. Since when is it okay for us to use government coercion to make people do what we believe is right? While I don't smoke and would never endorse or encourage such a practice, I cannot agree with infringing on a person's freedom with government force. That is a mark of authority I think we cannot tolerate.
I would like to believe that no Seventh-day Adventist person or church would use coercion (on the government) or force others to follow what they believe.
However, being a Seventh-day Adventist citizen of my country, I will, using my own capacity, support whatever positive programs that the government has, especially if it coincides with my own belief; doing it out of love, as Christ's representative for others.