I think we should ban cigarettes.

[Dueller]

Why not? Major tax revenues, corporate (lobbyists) opposition.

[MT930]

Trying to save people from them selves.

Doesn't work. It never has !

It's your choice.

[livi]

It is still legal because too many people want it to be legal and the legislators and politicians wants to remain in office.

[911Rob]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

How 'bout legalize everything and let the idiots that want to smoke, drink, shoot up, toke, Big-Mac or whatever themselves into an early grave let them. We've got too many people as it is and we sure as hell don't need Big Brother (funded by my tax $$$) to hand-hold them or fix the problems created by bad choices on the part of the stupid and indiscriminate.

+1
Less Government is my vote too.
I could give a $hit if someone smokes or not? Tabacco, crack, pot; who cares, its their life. Jeez, an ex-smoker too, who da thunk?

[The Gaijin]

Imagine them marketeers pushing crack and heroin like big macs and coca-cola..

[Highlander179]

there are a lot more dangerous things than smoking.

the whole anti-smoking movement is littered with lies, faulty analysis, corruptness and another tool for big gov to screw the working class(ie. tax).

[Dave L]

Originally Posted by alf

Naw, just tax the hell out of it.

Thats the Canadian way of doing it, still plenty of smokers in Canada though.

[Gogar]

Legalize ALL the drugs, regulate and tax them.

Use the tax revenues to fund our impending socialized medicine system.

It's a perpetual motion machine, man. It will be awesome.

[K. Roman]

Imagine having to buy your smokes from a drug dealer. Now imagine how rich these "drug" dealers would be if it were banned. Very silly idea.

[Komenda Fan]

Sure, and why stop at banning cigarettes? How about old cars that pollute? Or cars capable of speeding, those are bad for people too...

In North America we are obsessed with creating a law for everything....pretty soon we will all be bubble wrapped and unable to do anything. I feel like I'm suffocating. Why can't we let a guy live his life at least a little bit?

[RickM]

Originally Posted by Gogar

Legalize ALL the drugs, regulate and tax them.

Use the tax revenues to fund our impending socialized medicine system.

It's a perpetual motion machine, man. It will be awesome.

A healthcare gererator of sorts.

[Porsche_monkey]

Since you don't have publicly funded health-care why worry? It's only an issue when you are paying the freight on drug users, smokers, drinkers, and people who drive motor-cycles without helmets.

How does it harm you?

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Why are heroin and cocaine legal and cigarettes are not?

Look at the horrible health repercussions for both individuals and society in terms of costs. Spare me the, 'its an individual choice' baloney. We allow the sale of a product that when used as intended will, at bare minimum, shorten your life and lead to debilitating disease, and at worse kill you horribly through cancer or emphysema. We don't say, 'its a choice!' when people want to stick needles in their arms do we?

Other than PROFITS I can think of nary a single reason cigarettes should be legal.

Cigars, pipe tobacco? People have used these for hundreds (perhaps thousands) of years. While not good for you, they are not an industrially designed drug delivery system like cigarettes.

BTW, I am both and ex-smoker, and an ex-drug user, and I can assure you that cigarettes are WAY more difficult to quit than any other drug I tried.

I think maybe we should mind our own business and not be so pompous and self-righteous to think we can or should tell others how to live.

I I chose to smoke it is none of your dam business! Who do you think you are telling other people what to do and what not to do? Why can't you be satisfied living your life the way you want and let others do the same?

On second thought, i like the way you think and I'm going to act the same way. I'll start off by telling you what you can and can't do, because I know better! Bah!

[Hugh R]

Quit smoking about 7 weeks ago. Still grappling with it. Ban red meat, I bet it kills more people than smoking. I went to Fudruckers for a 1/3 pd. burger for lunch, man was that good.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by alf

Naw, just tax the hell out of it.

They already do. Big time. Steeper taxes than any other product sold in the US.

[masraum]

I hate cigarettes, and hate to have to breath the smoke from them. Fortunately that's down to a minimum these days. I even hate to be behind someone smoking out the window of their car.

Alcohol is just as bad.

But I don't know that they should be banned.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Burnin' oil

Mmmmmmmmmm, Lucky Strikes. Now I want a smoke. Hardrive, it appears that you've never been to one of my family weddings.

Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco

So what is next on the list, booze, deep fried food, cheesecake, chocolate?

Originally Posted by alf

Naw, just tax the hell out of it.

Ding, ding, we have a winner. Cigarettes are legal because they generate a LOT of tax revenue, booze too. They don't have the taxing plan worked out for legalizing other stuff

Originally Posted by Komenda Fan

Sure, and why stop at banning cigarettes? How about old cars that pollute? Or cars capable of speeding, those are bad for people too...

In North America we are obsessed with creating a law for everything....pretty soon we will all be bubble wrapped and unable to do anything. I feel like I'm suffocating. Why can't we let a guy live his life at least a little bit?

They are already working hard to eliminate old cars in California.

Originally Posted by PBH

Since you don't have publicly funded health-care why worry? It's only an issue when you are paying the freight on drug users, smokers, drinkers, and people who drive motor-cycles without helmets.

How does it harm you?

In effect we already have publicly funded healthcare, we just don't call it that here.

If they make them illegal, it will mess up too many revenue flows and won't stop anyone from smoking. California will not be able to pay for a lot of stuff they already bought. Organized crime will clean up just like they did with booze in the 1920's.

[M.D. Holloway]

Not cigars or pipe tobacco though. I like cigars and I plan on getting a pipe when my book gets pressed...

[Buckterrier]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

How 'bout legalize everything and let the idiots that want to smoke, drink, shoot up, toke, Big-Mac or whatever themselves into an early grave let them. We've got too many people as it is and we sure as hell don't need Big Brother (funded by my tax $$$) to hand-hold them or fix the problems created by bad choices on the part of the stupid and indiscriminate.

Dang POP you sound like me, (or are you older and I sound like you?). The only problem with that theory is they pull the ole 'public burden' on you. Just like when folks appeal helmet laws. The states claim when you crack your skull open it costs the masses money because of lack of insurance. Doesn't car insurance go up when you have an accident, bad driving record, DUI, etc. etc.? Well, do the same thing for unhealthy folk. You smoke, premium goes up. Fat as a bastad, (yes that's bastad, I live in NE), your premium goes up. Don't exercise, hmm, gimme that money. Why should I pay for the vises of others?
To end my rant... The tobacco & booze companies are the largest drug dealers in the world. I love friggin' Anheuser/Bush. They are ardent supporters of America for a Drug Free Society whatever it's called. OMG talk about hypocritical. BASTADS. I refuse to drink their products.

[Tim Hancock]

I don't smoke, but I have a big problem with gubmint passing laws against it. (Same goes for seatbelts, child car seats, helmet laws, fuel economy standards, .08 BAC levels, more gun laws etc etc)

Many things in life can be considered risky or dangerous, my and my childrens safety is MY responsibility...not gubmints.