Should We Ban Tobacco?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

A fallacy says what?

Edited August 4, 2009 by Mister_Bill

[Danno 1,228]

Hell no you don't ban it, people have a right to smoke if they want too, if you don't like it, don't smoke.

For every logical reason you can suggest for why WE SHOULD BAN IT, I can insist you ban other foods or products first as they are harming even more people.

I think someone is seriously "cookin the books" on those number to begin with.

I have known a lot of smokers in my family and friends, I don't know one that has died from smoking.

Common sense would tell you smoking can't be good for you but I have seen a lot more people way-laid from being fat or drinking to much.

That is great logic. Because you know a smoker who didn't die from a smoking related illness, therefore no (or fewer than reported) smoker(s) die(s) from smoking related illness. I don't think that anyone has ever claimed that all smokers die from smoking related illness but, do tell, what are your qualifications to diagnose smoking related illness? Did you personally perform the autopsies on these friends and relatives or did they just not die of smoking related illness because that's what you want to be true? Was it emotionally trying to perform all those autopsies on people you knew?

The statistics on obesity and alcohol related illnesses are available for you to compare, have you? Obviously not or you wouldn't have made that false statement about the relative morbidity and mortality compared to smoking. Is your block so representative of America that you can extrapolate your tiny experience to the entire country/world. Why do you suppose your tiny, uncontrolled, casual observations are so much more valid than controlled data collection form a huge part of the population? If you can tell us the secret it could save a lot of research dollars. Then again, your technique is great for coming up with the answer you decide ahead of time but pretty poor at discovering truth. If the truth doesn't matter to you it is a very valuable way of thinking.

And what would be even one food more dangerous than smoking tobacco? You might note an important distinction between food, essential to life but, like everything else, capable of being misused and tobacco, not in any way essential to life and useful for 3 purposes, calming the cravings of those addicted, causing disease, and creating a class of rich drug pushers who manipulate their product for the greatest addictive potential, even when that makes the product more dangerous. Beyond that, it is really useless.

I'm personally not in favor of a ban. Smoking should be allowed in settings where only smokers will receive a significant dose of the toxin. You can bathe in toxic waste if you want but if you bathe the neighbors or the kids, then you crossed a line. Then cigarette taxes should reflect the true cost to society of allowing people to smoke. It would price out many users and those who still chose to smoke would no longer be a burden on society in monetary terms as they are now. Cigarettes would be expensive but life and health insurance would be cheaper because the huge additional costs from smokers would be fully covered by the taxes on cigarettes. Another option is to keep cigarette prices lower but exclude all smokers from life/health insurance and only offer them health services for which they pay in full.

Ok dude take a breather,

I simply made the observation that I doubt the "numbers" because they don't match up to the reality I see before me.

I'm not making a statement based on anything other than that.

If you want to believe everything your told, you will fear Global-Cooling, fear Global Warming, Y2K, world starvation by 1980.....and endless other things.

It's people like you who add humor to my life... no Really.

To you, a smoker "Baths in toxic waste".

HAve you ever enjoyed a campfire in your life?

Painted inside your house, got behind a city bus or 18wheeler?

Did you feel you were bathing in toxic waste then too?

Get on with life.

You are fortunate enough to live in a time in history where a "lit cigarette" ... is considered DANGER.

Marvel.

[SaadBell 0]

If anything should be banned it should be alcohol, alcohol kills more people every year.

Most people who use alcohol experience a "high" that is significantly different in accordance with body weight, muscle tone, personality, amount of alcohol consumed, and potency of alcohol consumed:

-Relaxed, euphoric experience

-Fun in movement and dancing... Less shy to do things alike these.

-Vomiting

-Headache

-Improved sleep patterns

-Short-term/Long-term memory loss

-Next-day hangover

-Blackouts

-In extreme cases: alcohol poisoning leading to death.

Most people who use marijuana experience a similar "high":

-Relaxed, euphoric experience

-Music and movies come to life, become more animated

-Colors stick-out more

-Stress reduction

-Haziness

-Improved sleep patterns

-Appetite stimulation

-Paranoia/Nervousness/Anxiety

-Short-term memory loss

There is much more (both positive and negative) but this just grabs the big points of each drug. Now compared to alcohol... marijuana's effects seem much better, and much safer. One huge point is there are no known death strictly associated with marijuana levels in one's body... There are tons of people overdosing on alcohol and dieing.

[NickD 203]

Yeah, just ban everything.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't think it should be banned but I do think there should be more restrictions on where you can do it outside of which its a ticketable offense. Pretty much only in your home or a very narrow list of designated public places - specifically I don't think it should be allowed on the street or any public thoroughfare.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Hell no you don't ban it, people have a right to smoke if they want too, if you don't like it, don't smoke.

For every logical reason you can suggest for why WE SHOULD BAN IT, I can insist you ban other foods or products first as they are harming even more people.

I think someone is seriously "cookin the books" on those number to begin with.

I have known a lot of smokers in my family and friends, I don't know one that has died from smoking.

Common sense would tell you smoking can't be good for you but I have seen a lot more people way-laid from being fat or drinking to much.

Don't ban smoking. Just ban the sale and cultivation of tobacco within the US. Ban the sale of all smoking paraphernalia and accessories. Kill two birds with one stone. No more "smoke shops" that don't sell tobacco. No more rolling papers. No more cigarette lighters. No more "bubblers". Make it hard enough, and nobody will smoke anything.

Better add apples to the banned list Bill.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Tobacco possesses sacred character to N8tive Americans. Why not ban them, too?

[natty bumppo 297]

I guess few people bothered to even read the article, which poignantly compared outlawing tobacco to our current laws against marijuana.

*releases catch and resets hook*

[Nagishkaw 510]

[almaty 19]

i am against banning allot of the drugs that are bannedsweet lcy etc..i am also, agaisnt the gov't making decisions on my choices,,

[Otto 83]

Not a fan of the 'Ban du Jour' crowds...

The same people that think it is OK to ban tobacco (or alcohol, or whatever) are the same people who believe the phrase "Land of the free, home of the brave" is just a lyric in some 'old' song.

Banning (whatever) doesn't just 'ban' the item - it criminalizes those who want it/use it/buy it/sell it etc. Prohibition is a very good example of this - alcohol didn't just 'go away' it pushed it underground and made everyone who had anything to do with it a criminal - including so called law-abiding citizens.

Very dangerous and not what Land of the free, home of the brave, stands for...

::::steps off soapbox::::

[dalegg 143]

We should just ban the damn filters. I always see those things in my driveway and its disgusting. If you're gonna smoke, smoke like a man.

[*JG* 2]

Hell no you don't ban it, people have a right to smoke if they want too, if you don't like it, don't smoke.

For every logical reason you can suggest for why WE SHOULD BAN IT, I can insist you ban other foods or products first as they are harming even more people.

I think someone is seriously "cookin the books" on those number to begin with.

I have known a lot of smokers in my family and friends, I don't know one that has died from smoking.

Common sense would tell you smoking can't be good for you but I have seen a lot more people way-laid from being fat or drinking to much.

Ditto!

[almaty 19]

We should just ban the damn filters. I always see those things in my driveway and its disgusting. If you're gonna smoke, smoke like a man.

smoke a pipe...and be eco-friendly...

[Chica Yeyé 41]

We should just ban the damn filters. I always see those things in my driveway and its disgusting. If you're gonna smoke, smoke like a man.

dude, but I iz a girl....

I agree with Ganja girl: ban alcohol. All of it. Oh, wait; they tried and how did that work out????