Will Cigarettes Be Made Illegal in the Near Future?

Will Cigarettes Be Made Illegal in the Near Future?

www.alternet.org

The battle over cigarettes is heating up -- and the momentum to criminalize tobacco smoking continues to build in the United States and around the world.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I aware of the multi - billion US tobacoo industry and the so called "pulls" they mave have , neverless i found this article quite interesting since it sheded some light in a very old dark controversial issue. tobacco can be economically detrimental to developing countries. When resources are put into tobacco production, they are taken away from food production. Large amount of firewood, that could be used domestically for fuel and heating, are instead used for the curing of tobacco.
A large percent of the profits from tobacco production go to large tobacco companies rather than local tobacco farmers. Also many countries have government subsides for tobacco farming, which do not make economic sense

www.alternet.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

I think the tax revenue is far too great for tobacco to be outlawed. At least I hope so, being a smoker and all. "They can have my cigarettes when they pry them from my cold dead fingers". HA!

It will go either one or the other direction:

Prohibiting tobacco from sale/use much like marijuana

Legalizing marijuana for sale/use much like alcohol

The tobacco industry is too large and profitable to criminalize. And I like cigarettes, so please don't, or else I'll have to start smuggling them in. And yes, I will if it comes to it.

If people were to ban cigarettes there would be a huge outcry.It going to be very hard to ban cigarettes completly.Even if it was banned some people will find a way to buy cigarettes anyhow.It a real problem with so many people smoking it a digusting habit.Banning cigarettes won't really solve the problem of this habit. If people want to smoke they can smoke but they risk health problems in the future.Then again if some countries did ban smoking there could be fewer incurrences of lung cancer and other diseases that is caused by smoking.

Tobacco usage is already illegal for the citizen's of Bhutan.
Only tourists can bring tobacco products into the country and it is still illegal to give, sell, or otherwise distribute them to anybody else.

So it has already started, it's just a case of finding other tax revenues before tobacco is made illegal in every country.

Here is a link to the Bhutan story.

CHINA DAILY

Professor Robert West from the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre and colleagues argue that more smokers would quit if cigarettes cost more, but at around half the price, smuggled tobacco is keeping the prices down.
Around 21% of all tobacco smoked in the UK is smuggled into the country. If there were no smuggling, the price of legal tobacco would increase by around 12%. According to the authors, this would lead to 5-8% of smokers kicking the habit — saving at least 4000 lives a year.
A reduction in tobacco smuggling would also help reduce health inequalities because low income smokers are more likely to use smuggled tobacco and they are also more likely to quit because of price increases.

They should be. They should ban them for a year. Once people go without them for that long they would probably give them up for good. If anyone goes back to them after that, well you had your chance. New smokers aside, it would be interesting to see how many people quit by removing the temptation for 12 months.

But if the government is trying to reduce the population, why would they ban something that makes them money and kills so many people every year?

With all the smokers on ATS, posting bans would go through the roof when everyone starts having a nicotine fits and arguing with each other

when will the libs learn no law will prevent a demand look back in time and see what Prohibition did, AL Capone, and bootlegging just to drive it under ground with outrages prices, just to be legalized, what will this do? can you say next drug war that will not win.

Cigs should be illegal. Ive been watching two of my younger buddy's try to come off them and its similar to a heroine addiction. I do believe that people should be allowed to smoke tobacco not these toxic white sticks. Do people not understand that 100 years ago, people grew tobacco, dried it, and then smoked it? There was no added chemicals! I believe that the other chemicals being added are a "replacement" to the original nicotine addiction. My brother had to lock him self in his room for a week and told me he even contemplated suicide over this crap. I cant wait till the day that people look at these little white sticks as absolutely CRAP.

To the poster who said "id just smuggle them in".... I can only imagine what you would do for a cup of water if you were thirsty.

Rant over

Can we read the first line in my signature please?

Seriously, leave me alone.

"Force me to quit."

Who made "you" the boss of me? How dare people force anything on anyone...oh wait nevermind it is benefiting "you" so it is okay.
"you" is a general term for the anti-smokers

Or as I prefer to call them, Moral Pushers.

Now I am going to go have a cig, I only smoke (anymore) because people want to force me to quit.

Originally posted by bekod
when will the libs learn no law will prevent a demand look back in time and see what Prohibition did, AL Capone, and bootlegging just to drive it under ground with outrages prices, just to be legalized, what will this do? can you say next drug war that will not win.

Who knows , might be part of a diabolical plan to force it underground so they can make millions in profits of the people who decide to break the law and smoke tobacco

Maybe someday it'll be illegal, its a great source of income for the government :S

There is WAY too much money in it for them to become illegal.

but do expect them to start adding more and more chemicals, creating even more health risks.
FSC cigarettes are a perfect example of this fact. they added an extra layer of paper (more tar) glued it on with some kinda vinyl (carpet glue/carcinogen) and all this for what?

to save a few hundred lives every year from fires started by unattended cigarettes? HA!

I'm actually glad they did it though.. it gave me a reason to finally quit. a month and 5 days, and im never looking back.

I am a little saddened to see a few people who think cigarettes should be outlawed. I believe in freedom and outlawing tobacco will be another blow to our freedom and the rights of the individual. I do believe smokers should respect those who don't smoke as I believe non-smokers should respect the rights of those who smoke even if they find the habit disgusting.

I am not a cigarette smoker but will enjoy the occasional high grade cigar on special occasions. A little been of indulging here and there will not kill me.

only idiots in Washington come up with this plan.
Did you know u can buy marijuana cheaper than
tobacco ???

yes, go ahead mr. gov man.
make them illegal.

the price will drop
and u won't get a
cut anymore.

people are still gonna buy
cigs no matter what idiotic
laws u enact.

reply to post by FeeBanks
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHhhhhhhhhhh i like your thinking.

With the level of Federal & States' debts, I dont think the USA can afford another "War On". After all, enforcement comes out of public purse. I expect that there are many US legislators looking to find a way to end the War On Drugs, for the same reason.