SMOKING KILLS

[Peegee]

For the record, I do think smoking in public is really rude. So is farting in public. Making people smell your stink is rude.

It is not, however, similar to raping someone. A small fraction of a bad smell, no worse for you than the we Southern Californians inhale all day anyway, is not the same as being violently sexually assaulted.

I can't believe I even had to explain that difference. If anyone would seriously like to push the "smoking in public is comparable to rape" argument, please let me know so I can ban you for being too stupid to tolerate. I'm pretty sure that's in the rules somewhere, and, if it isn't, I will be sure to add it.

"Rule 45: If you are so stupid that your posts cause ShlupQuack physical pain, you will be instantly banned."

That's a nonsense rule and you know it. Need I bring back pikaspam?

[Madame Adequate]

I don't really feel at great risk from cigarette smoke, and the dwindling number of people who smoke in places I am these days means that I don't inhale much second hand smoke these days, either. But I want it illegalised because I fear that someday my children may take up smoking at a young age and then become addicted and ruin their body with that addiction. The fact that it's even illegal to do it as a youth pretty much sums up the fact that everyone knows that it's not good for you and that you shouldn't really do it if you want to be healthy.

I uh... have you be smoking something of your own, BoB? Because anyone with a remotely clear view of the world should see that banning things does not make them go away. I knew more smokers in school than I do anywhere else The only thing banning it would do would make it harder to get help.

[Loony BoB]

I didn't know many smokers in school. But then, I didn't grow up in the UK, nor do I intend on having my kids grow up here if I someday have children. I wonder how many of those people you knew in school that smoked still do and how many quit, though.

Cocaine isn't legal and most of the guys at work don't seem to go off for a fix of any kind of drug. Most people I know avoid them. Banning something doesn't make it go away, obviously. But if you ban the manufacturing of cigarettes, then that would have a significant impact. Costs would rise, first. Fewer mature, law-abiding people such as my workmates would buy cigarettes if they were illegal, definitely. I'm not sure, but I think it would probably be easier to stop yourself becoming addicted to the point that you would require more cigarettes when compared to stopping yourself being addicted to crack, and that to me would mean drug dealers would have a bit more of a struggle to sell their wares.

But I'm no specialist in the area. I just know that while there may be a lot of people that smoke marijuana, they certainly don't do it in my face. Underground? Fine, in my opinion. Out of sight, out of lungs!

[Shlup]

You are kind of a horrible person.

I like that this thread isn't in EoEO so I feel like I can say that without adding further argument.

[Loony BoB]

Your face is a kind of horrible face. But let's stay on topic, Squeak.

[Peegee]

You are kind of a horrible person.

I like that this thread isn't in EoEO so I feel like I can say that without adding further argument.

context as to who is horrible would be nice.

oh it was BoB

so anyway increasing the cost of smokes by banning them would make it more difficult for children to smoke. So I guess there's some benefit to it. However the government makes too much in tax revenue to do something like that (that and alcohol)

[Loony BoB]

Yeah, I know. I wonder how Singapore offsets the cigarette ban they have there? I'm sure other countries do it, too. The health benefits would obviously help keep the cost of health services down, but then, I don't think America has a full-on tax-paid health service, do they? Or has that kicked in with Obama? Not sure.

Regardless, the masses of smokers in a large population will always dictate things by voting in favour of some guy who says he'll legalise smoking again once the ban is in place, so it's pretty much not gonna happen until the vast majority of the voting population stop puffing away. Not sure when that'll happen, really.

[Peegee]

From what I can tell by asking Americans, they don't even have a health care system. It's basically 'pay for medical insurance or else'

Definitely benefits to having a healthy population, but there's less immediate money coming in that taxation of cigarettes would bring in. I tend to stereotype America (or rather, capitalistic countries) as 'get money now; divert externalities to other parties. Profit profit profit'

[Jowy]

I bought smokes a few days ago that had a warning inside of the pack that said "No cigarette will help you quit smoking, these aren't any better than any other kind", or something to that effect. I hung it up at my desk.

[NorthernChaosGod]

I bought smokes a few days ago that had a warning inside of the pack that said "No cigarette will help you quit smoking, these aren't any better than any other kind", or something to that effect. I hung it up at my desk.

Haha. That's actually pretty funny.

[Quindiana Jones]

On a slightly related topic, the most brutal anti-smoking message I've seen was on the front of a pack of fags.

It said: "SMOKING WILL CAUSE A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH."