I truly do not get the initial premise. Tobacco has no redeeming value, therefore it should be criminalized. The list of activities with no redeeming value is a mile long. DCUM has no redeeming value!! First, criminalizing anything is an expensive proposition to the taxpayer. You have to pay to regulate and prosecute the offenses. Additionally, criminalizing something that anyone wants to do inevitably creates a black market that hurts everyone. I would much rather have Joe Ne'erDoWell on his porch smoking a cigarette (or a joint, for that matter) that was taxed than create additional crime and tax drains to prevent him from enjoying his damn cigarette. Second, you are never going to cure the world of every pastime that could possibly injure someone or you personally find distasteful. It is reasonable to expect certain things to be illegal in a society -- murder and assault have to be illegal for society to work -- but the whole point of freedom is you get to choose what you do with your life and to evaluate the value of any particular pastime for yourself. It is the rare individual who spends all her time strictly on endeavors that purely further the common good. People are always going to entertain themselves in ways that could potentially hurt themselves or someone else. Get the hell over yourself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is alcohol legal? Ever heard of AA?

Why are prescription pain killers legal? Ever heard of NA?

Why is cholesterol legal? The leading cause of death is heart disease, not lung disease!
- Why is oil legal? Cheese? Cream?

Interesting fact: lung cancer kills more people than any other type of cancer, including breast cancer

Heart disease kills more people than lung cancer.

Heart disease is caused by high cholesterol, high sodium foods. So let's ban the foods, because food is the #1 killer in America.

In fact, why don't the "liberal" forward thinkers in this country make illegal everything they think is "bad." After all, what is the point of "freedom" when you loons know what's best for us and deem it righteous to dictate it.

YEA!!! And we all know that it is liberals who want to keep the ban on recerational marijuana and want to strengthen abortion restrictions!!!! Uhhh wait.....never mind. Smirk!

OP -- if you really want to know why tobacco isn't illegal, read "A Question of Intent: A Great American Battle with a Deadly Industry" by David Kessler.

It's a fantastic book that's very entertaining and will offer insight into the tobacco industry and it's intersection with Congress and the FDA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is alcohol legal? Ever heard of AA?

Why are prescription pain killers legal? Ever heard of NA?

Why is cholesterol legal? The leading cause of death is heart disease, not lung disease!
- Why is oil legal? Cheese? Cream?

Interesting fact: lung cancer kills more people than any other type of cancer, including breast cancer

Heart disease kills more people than lung cancer.

Heart disease is caused by high cholesterol, high sodium foods. So let's ban the foods, because food is the #1 killer in America.

In fact, why don't the "liberal" forward thinkers in this country make illegal everything they think is "bad." After all, what is the point of "freedom" when you loons know what's best for us and deem it righteous to dictate it.

why do you feel the need to disparage liberals? I am a liberal and don't think tobacco should be illegal, nor fatty foods, nor sugar. We all have choice in life. I choose to do things in moderation.

You lose your argument when you think everything is so black and white, liberal vs conservative, etc

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is alcohol legal? Ever heard of AA?

Why are prescription pain killers legal? Ever heard of NA?

Why is cholesterol legal? The leading cause of death is heart disease, not lung disease!
- Why is oil legal? Cheese? Cream?

Interesting fact: lung cancer kills more people than any other type of cancer, including breast cancer

Heart disease kills more people than lung cancer.

Heart disease is caused by high cholesterol, high sodium foods. So let's ban the foods, because food is the #1 killer in America.

In fact, why don't the "liberal" forward thinkers in this country make illegal everything they think is "bad." After all, what is the point of "freedom" when you loons know what's best for us and deem it righteous to dictate it.

We need danger in this world. Gotta keep the population down.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tobacco is more harmful than marijuana.

If the government could figure out a way to regulate pot and earn revenue from it, we would be able to buy joints as easily as we buy cigarettes.

This is a myth. they are both equally harmful.

But so is alcohol (and spare me the "wine is so good for you BS" b/c I really think that the amount of wine that is healthy is a lot less than what people actually drink, and they use the "it's good for you" to justify it).

Nope, not a myth. Tobacco is far more devastating than pot. Humans have fucked it up to make the former legal and the latter criminal.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tobacco is more harmful than marijuana.

If the government could figure out a way to regulate pot and earn revenue from it, we would be able to buy joints as easily as we buy cigarettes.

This is a myth. they are both equally harmful.

But so is alcohol (and spare me the "wine is so good for you BS" b/c I really think that the amount of wine that is healthy is a lot less than what people actually drink, and they use the "it's good for you" to justify it).

Nope, not a myth. Tobacco is far more devastating than pot. Humans have fucked it up to make the former legal and the latter criminal.

Anonymous wrote:Why are my tax dollars funding abortions? Enjoy your fucked up insides that ill have to pay for when you get uterine cancer.

Please google the Hyde Amendment. Thanks.

Why are my tax dollars funding abortions? Enjoy your fucked up insides that ill have to pay for when you get uterine cancer.

Get rid of sugar, fatty foods and regulate portions. Then the fatties won't cost the health system so much.

You know what kept a lot of Americans from getting fat for years and years and years? Smoking. The obesity epidemic didn't really start taking hold until the majority of adults who smoked quit.

Anonymous wrote:Abolition doesn't work.

Sorry I meant to say prohibition. I'm just too tired. Good night.

Abolition doesn't work.

Death to smokers

Anonymous wrote:1) Lobbyists
2) Money

FTW