The reasons why smoking should be banned

[Fraleyight]

The old 1920's argument about prohibition and Al Capone etc....not again!

ok, that didn't work - but that was nearly 100 years ago - times have changed.

Marijuana is a restricted item that is generally only harmful because it is often mixed with tobacco.

Times have not changed much. You still have violence tied in with marijuana. People are getting killed over drug deals and obviously buying any thing that is illegal will never be safe.

Besides that shouldn't a smoker be allowed to determine if they want to smoke or not? I understand to some extent banning it in certain public places (when the owner of the establishment agrees) If I am smoking tobacco in my own house I am just hurting myself and no one else. It is my job to determine what I choose to do with my own consequences and no one else.

 

[RisingKnowledge]

I've already dealt with this.

So to say again - just because something did not work so well, way back in 1920, does not mean it cannot be tried again in a different manner.

Yes just look at how good we are with all the banned drugs.

 

[nnmartin]

Drinking coffee is a foul and pointless activity that does nothing of any real value.

................
Coffee should be banned.




(Silly, isn't it)

it's all about the harm factor though.

Coffee is in no way as harmful as tobacco.

Can you get lung cancer, bronchitis etc.. of coffee?

fairly unlikely

 

[waitasec]

the only thing about smoking is that it does affect others...

my husband was in the south this last week and he said people would just start smoking in his hotel room with out even asking if it was alright...

 

[nnmartin]

Besides that shouldn't a smoker be allowed to determine if they want to smoke or not? I understand to some extent banning it in certain public places (when the owner of the establishment agrees) If I am smoking tobacco in my own house I am just hurting myself and no one else. It is my job to determine what I choose to do with my own consequences and no one else.

The problem here is that it encourages other people to smoke.

there are also the health costs involved which must be paid for by society in some form or another.

 

[RisingKnowledge]

they won't be giving up for juice, they will be giving up for air because tobacco will be banned.

but once you have given something up , and adjusted to it, you can discover a similar kind of mental stimulation from another, less damaging habit.

When you suffer from nicotine addiction I think that would be a fair comment. I do agree with you it is such a bad addiction but good luck getting a bunch of addicts to agree.

 

[Poisonshady313]

Normally people do not inhale from cigars or pipes so this would be a kind of loophole.

That's irrelevant. Nicotine, along with all sorts of other unpleasant things, get absorbed through the mouth. So instead of lung cancer, we're talking about mouth cancer.

admittedly, there is no way one could force someone to not inhale, but usually the price of these items would put off the regular cigarette smoker.

The rising price of regular cigarettes aren't putting off the regular cigarette smoker. When they want their fix, they'll pay what it costs to get it.

 

[Fraleyight]

The problem here is that it encourages other people to smoke.

there are also the health costs involved which must be paid for by society in some form or another.

imo the risk to society would be far greater if we made it illegal.

 

[nnmartin]

smoking can gradually be phased out with education, increased prices, restricted access and stricter regulations against the tobacco companies and retailers.

 

[RisingKnowledge]

The problem here is that it encourages other people to smoke.

there are also the health costs involved which must be paid for by society in some form or another.

You do agree with banning alcohol right? It kills tons of people and is made to look "cool". I think it would only be fair.

 

[Poisonshady313]

smoking can gradually be phased out with education, increased prices, restricted access and stricter regulations against the tobacco companies and retailers.

Wrong.

The only way to phase out smoking is to make sure young people don't start. How do you do that?

Restricted access certainly isn't it. Increased prices won't do it. There's already a black market for cigarettes, just because prices are too high.

 

[nnmartin]

good point, but no - I think alcohol should be allowed.

why?

because most people do not become alcoholics, however virtually all cigarette smokers become addicted and have a very hard time quitting.

 

[nnmartin]

Wrong.

The only way to phase out smoking is to make sure young people don't start. How do you do that?

education is the main way forward here.

if young people are encouraged to think that smoking is bad , not just for health reasons but also as a form of negative social stigma, then eventually they will be less inclined to start.

 

[RisingKnowledge]

smoking can gradually be phased out with education, increased prices, restricted access and stricter regulations against the tobacco companies and retailers.

I think this is already slowly happening.

"From 1965 to 2010, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults in the United States decreased from 42.4% to 19.3%, in part because of an increase in the number who quit smoking (3). Since 2002, the number of former U.S. smokers has exceeded the number of current "

Quitting Smoking Among Adults --- United States, 2001--2010

 

[tumbleweed41]

it's all about the harm factor though.

Coffee is in no way as harmful as tobacco.

Can you get lung cancer, bronchitis etc.. of coffee?

fairly unlikely

Well, it contributes to iron deficiency (anemia), high blood pressure, escalated heart rate, ulcers, migraines, low birth weight and the obvious, insomnia.

Not only that, but it is the most widely used addictive drug in the world today.





Look, I am not arguing that coffee is worse for you than tobacco, or that education and regulation is not needed to decrease the number of tobacco addicts. But prohibition is not the answer.

 

[tumbleweed41]

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a heavy coffee drinker and smoke a pack a day.

 

[GabrielWithoutWings]

The old 1920's argument about prohibition and Al Capone etc....not again!

ok, that didn't work - but that was nearly 100 years ago - times have changed.

Marijuana is a restricted item that is generally only harmful because it is often mixed with tobacco.

Times have changed? Have you taken a look south of the border?

Since when is marijuana mixed with tobacco?

 

[Poisonshady313]

good point, but no - I think alcohol should be allowed.

why?

because most people do not become alcoholics, however virtually all cigarette smokers become addicted and have a very hard time quitting.

Heroin is very addictive, and addicts have a very hard time quitting. But there are less heroin addicts than alcoholics.

Not everything is black and white.

 

[RisingKnowledge]

good point, but no - I think alcohol should be allowed.

why?

because most people do not become alcoholics, however virtually all cigarette smokers become addicted and have a very hard time quitting.

Statistics on Alcoholics

 

[Draka]

Sitting at a computer talking on a forum is a foul and pointless activity that does nothing of any real value.

In a modern nation we ought to do away with this unhealthy activity.

I cannot see any real benefits for forum posters other than a short-term artificial stimulation that only decreases the healthy activity levels of ones body.

for sure, the forum owners benefit so they want to continue with their legalised form of forum addiction which reaps great rewards.

But the time has surely come to do away with this pointless habit.

Forum posting should be banned.

any objections?