Why is smoking legal?

Norik

Norik

[14] Master
I know the answer to this is most likely down to two things - Money from tax which funds and because it is so widespread and accepted all over the globe.

However, smoking should be a class A drug!

Smoking has a direct influence in the number or deaths caused by cancers due to the carcinogens in cigarette,which source [1] also proves. Deaths in males cased by lung cancer increased from 10 per 100,000 to 185 or so per 180,000 within 60 years, which is in pattern with the cigarette consumption per person per year [Consumption]. This consumption was at 4000 cigarettes per person per year. However research and statistics show us that the average smoker smokes about a pack per day. As a pack is often 20 cigarettes that means (20 * 365) = 7300 cigarettes are smoked by the average smoker every year. This is 1.75 times more than the peak of the graph in source [1] at about 4200 per year.

There is a 20 year lag in the graph between the increase in smokers and the increase in deaths caused by lung cancer.

So, the government of not just the UK or USA, but every god damned nation has statistics every where that prove the effects of smoking not only effect those who smoke but those around them too.

Governments probably make a lot of money from cigarette tax. They claim they need the money for the NHS and similar institutions but the only reason they need it is to treat the very smokers whose tax came from the >drugs< that are killing them. So if nobody smoked we wouldn't need so much money in the system anyway.

So why isn't the governement doing something about it?. If a 16 year old with little resources apart from basic statistics, some intelligence and common sense can come to this resolution how on earth can a government not work it out.

Tobacco (and most definitely alcohol too) would be class A drugs if they were introduced now, so why can it not be removed completely. It has an immediate short term effect which is critical to the body. It has a long term effect which is critical to the body. It is an addictive substance. It causes harm to those other than those taking it. What idiot of a stupid government cannot work it out and do something about it!

What can be done to make it illegal? Quality of life, health, wealth and general; well being will be improved dramatically if smoking was illegal, however why isn't the government making it illegal? Or to avoid a situation like the 20's prohibition, Why isn't it totally banned worldwide?

What is everyone's views and opinions on this and what do you think can be done?

Source-

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...king_lung_cancer_correlation_from_NIH.svg.png
 
You seriously think making something illegal will make people who are addicted stop using it?

hahahafuckno

The only thing the prohibition accomplished was prove that if something is made illegal, people who want it will find ways to get it and people who want money will take it as an opportunity to profit off of its new-found scarcity. I could get into all the reasons the US government isn't going to bother with it (Hint, it mostly involves money), but since you're keen on researching you can probably eventually figure that out on your own.
 
Smoking is legal because it's fascist to tell a grown human being what he can and can't put in his mouth.

Of course, by that logic, tons of other drugs should be legal too. Which is fine by me.

I'm not sure if you should be able to get treated for your injuries for free if you willfully poison yourself, but socialized healthcare is a whole different topic.
 
Think about how prohibition went in the US. Now imagine the same thing happening again with cigarettes. There's your answer.
 
why then is alcohol legal

just remember you ban 1 and a slippery slope begins

also quick edit: OP did you loose some one to smoking i only ask because the only people i see that really give a damn if people smoke are the ones that a family memeber died thanks to smoking

if thats the case im truly sorry if its not the case let people enjoy there little lives how they see fit

government can kill us but we cant kill our selfs wtf (serious too, suicide is illegal look it up)
 
IdleMind said:
Because it's a personal choice for people to poison themselves.
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I've never quite understood this. The fact that people can choose to destroy their lives or not doesn't mean nothing should be done about it, just because "it's their life so it ain't anyone else's business". It is this kind of thinking that prevents mankind from evolving morally, and technology in the hands of inhumane people can have catastrophic consequences. War, disease, prostitution, violence...
 
norik434 said:
I've never quite understood this. The fact that people can choose to destroy their lives or not doesn't mean nothing should be done about it, just because it's their life so it ain't anyone else's business. It is this kind of thinking that prevents mankind from evolving morally, and technology in the hands of inhumane people can have catastrophic consequences. War, disease, prostitution, violence...
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You need to study up on the enlightenment.

The core conception of American founding is the idea that it isn't the governments business to tell you what to do unless it is negative to the functional seams of society- i.e. obstructing commerce or national security. It is not the function of the government to enforce a progressive society, it's the function of the government to allow people to do as they will.

Personally, "society evolving morally" is a moving target anyways. Israeli commandos are called "Freedom fighters", Arab commando's are called "Terrorists".

It's all bullshit anyways.
 
IdleMind said:
It's all bullshit anyways.
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Well, I agree with this line lol.

But I am very well aware of the enlightenment ideas, I just think them to be... outdated, for the lack of a better word. Several things have changed during the last 100 years, yet we're still doing the same things wrong, except with a pretty phone and chemically produced foods.
 
norik434 said:
Well, I agree with this line lol.

But I am very well aware of the enlightenment ideas, I just think them to be... outdated, for the lack of a better word. Several things have changed during the last 100 years, yet we're still doing the same things wrong, except with a pretty phone and chemically produced foods.
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You keep thinking "we're". Look, people aren't inherently a collective force moving towards some greater goal. That takes galvanizing, oppression and brainwashing.
 
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