Poll: Should smoking be made illegal?

[Baron von Awesome]

Why not just take away all of our personal freedoms to insure that we have healthier longer lives? Get rid of drinking, high fat foods, video games, television, and other activities that support a heavily sedentary lifestyle. Why not make caffeine illegal? It's the most widely used drug in America, and it isn't beneficial. How about religious beliefs that the government finds to be potentially harmful? Motorcycles, hell even automobiles, make all transportation under control of the government.

Sheesh, seriously!? I can understand taxing them, or having restricted areas, but making tobacco outright illegal! That's idealism and naivete run-amok. While I don't smoke cigarettes, nor do I ever plan to, I'm not about to try and create laws that make it impossible for others to do so.

 

[SovietSecrets]

No. If smoking is banned then drinking has to be banned as well.

But smoking affects everyone around you, while drinking doesn't.

Unless theres those who drink and go pick fights or drive drunk and kill someone. None of you are really convincing me here. Some of the time the person who drinks will end up hurting themselves anyways from lack of judgement or make a really stupid decision. You don't want to breathe the air? Then get away from the person. Its not that hard.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

No, if you do you might as well get everyone single person addicted to nicotine in rehab.

 

[Fifty-One]

I completely agree with banning smoking in public settings, but not outright. There are already enough laws out there protecting people from themselves. People need to try thinking for themselves and owning up to the consequences of their actions.

 

[CrashBang]

I used to be straight edge but most of my mates smoke and I think that if people choose to smoke then it's their prerogative and their right. I don't smoke and never would but I'd never suggest it be made illegal, that way madness lies!

 

[MoganFreeman]

My friend is of the opinion that smoking should be made illegal and classed as a drug, and that the state should step in to essentially protect people from themselves.

This made me chuckle. Cannabis IS classified as a drug and the state has yet to keep me from smoking it regularly.

i'm fine with people smoking weed, but cigarettes are disgusting and you shouldn't smoke them where people can see you. You should be too ashamed. But it is reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally fun to cough at smokers when running by them

 

[Hister]

Marijuana is illegal, and look how many people smoke that regardless.

Does your friend honestly think if tobacco smoking is banned that the use will really go down?

Apparently. I never understood the logic behind it.

The thing about smoking is that it, arguably, isn't REALLY the smoker's choice since they are addicted.

People aren't born addicted though. It's always a choice to start smoking. No-one's shoving smokes down your throat.

depends on the situation when I was in the army the only way you could get a break was to smoke, I knew a few that took up smoking just so they could rest for a moment and take a "smoke break"

 

[blarghblarghhhhh]

i'm fine with people smoking weed, but cigarettes are disgusting and you shouldn't smoke them where people can see you. You should be too ashamed. But it is reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally fun to cough at smokers when running by them

I smoke and run on a daily basis. Im not saying im the fastest runner in the world or that smoking is a good thing to do and I know im the exception not the rule but im just saying it for the sake if saying it. There are far worse things to do to your body then smoking that are perfectly legal. Mcdonalds is a prime example.

 

[Eumersian]

Definitely in enclosed, public places. Outdoors, maybe in a park or something, that's fine. But in a restaurant, or store, or anywhere else that is an enclosed place, absolutely illegal. Secondhand smoke is still really bad, and even if it wasn't it still smells horrible.

 

[CorruptedCow]

Tobacco will never become illegal because of three main reasons:

1) It has been a part of history since the time Columbus was introduced the drug by Native Americans, making it that annoying, permanent little habit that you can't ever kick.

2) It generates a LOT of money for the US government a year. (Several billions)

3) And going back to number one, you can't force people to stop consuming tobacco by making it illegal. (see prohibition era)

Edit: However, it will be nice to see cigarettes limited to certain areas as to preserve public health.

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

No. Why should it? Also: all the taxes on cigarettes go poof. Not good. Also... legalizing marijuana, but banning tobacco? That's like... banning beer and legalizing moonshine.
[sup]Wait... that doesn't quite work... Ah what ever.[/sup]
Yea. Leave it alone.

 

[Nannernade]

Yeah I think they should but if they want to keep smoking fine just throw them all in a tiny room and let them see how bad it is.

 

[Tdc2182]

Hahaha, Go for it.

Just don't mind me leaving Whatever country it happens in when the shit hits the fan.

 

[johnman]

Fuck no, I enjoy smoking. Not so much in public areas around non-smokers, but as a medium of social interaction with friends then I have had many good times and meet some good people though it. From personal experiance I have been smoking about 5 years now, but am not addicted (I know it sounds stupid but hear me out). Say I am at home all day on my day off work. Most likely I wont spark up till about 7 when my flatmate walks in and sparks up as well. I can and have easily gone days without.

As for all this impact on Public health, unless your smoking indoors (Somthing I dislike immensly, stale smoke reeks) or someone is breathing it directly in your face (a dick) walking down a busy main road is going to be far worse on your lungs.

I would be far more concerned with the massive amount of adults and teenagers addicted to caffine.

 

[T-004]

'Flapjack94'
Beat Writer
Posts: 138
Joined: 9 May 2009


"i'm fine with people smoking weed, but cigarettes are disgusting and you shouldn't smoke them where people can see you.
You should be too ashamed.
But it is reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally fun to cough at smokers when running by them."

It's even more fun tripping up smartasses who think it's funny to cough while running by

Yes smoking is bad for you, yes it stinks but so do lentil farts...I know lets tax the shit out of lentil eaters too! Or people on certain diets!

I know lets yelp like we've been pricked with a needle if we pass a heroin addict or throw up if we encounter an anorexic/bulimic person.

(forgot to hit quote :/)

 

[Chewster]

No, and the kick that my government is on, whereby now (at least in this province) all smoking stuff in stores have to be covered up at all times, with these little plastic door things, is really fucking dumb. Like what, people don't actually know what is underneath? Get real.

I smoke somewhat when I drink (only a pipe, I'm classy like that) and would consider myself to more or less be a non-smoker, and I still find some of the regulations here to be absurd. I can get that a person's right to smoke doesn't trump someone else's right to fresh air, but some mild second hand smoke once in a while isn't going to kill anyone and anyone who doesn't have asthma and acts like it does is a frigging hypochondriac. The whole "ten feet from the door" rule is really dumb, and seems like a token effort to make the government seem like they are doing something other than raking in all the tax they get off it.

And I thought that walled off smoking sections were perfectly fine in restaurants and other places, provided the smoke could be kept to a certain area. Doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

 

[cocodog13]

Maybe smoking shouldn't be made illegal, but anyone who just happens to smoke near people who don't want to be poisoned by that crap should be shot.
That is kinda fair. Free to kill yourself that way, but start to kill others, and we finish killing you immediately.
So no, no ban, just stay the hell away from non-smokers while smoking, unless they go to you.

so does that mean i can start going round shooting people who drive cars past me aswell? or the guy next door with the wood stove? or maybe even you because you didnt cover your mouth when you coughed neer me..... aww shit maybe we should nuke iceland because they filled the air with crap from that volcano......

 

[Sneezeguard]

It's immoral for a group to imppose their will against smokers just because they don't like smoking, it's taking away our right to smoke. Government campaigns in the UK have informed the public well enough about the dangers of smoking and have accommodated for those who don't smoke by banning it public buildings.

I don't think they could tax ciggarette any more in the UK.
UK cigarette tax is about 500% for every £1 the tabacco industry make makes the goverment earns £5 it's why the're so damn expensive over here while in the rest of the EU they sell for half that ammount.