# If cigarettes or tobacco became an illegal drug tomorrow, what would you do (poll for everyone). **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 24, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074 "2011-05-24T21:57:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/1 "2011-05-24T21:57:34Z")
First of all, this is hypothetical. I’m not going to hold you to your answer if it actually happens. Assume that cigarettes (or tobacco in general) becomes an illegal drug where you live. Emigrating to another place where it is legal is not an option (it also becomes illegal in any place you can reasonably move to). By “smoke” I mean use tobacco products in general. What would you do? ---
**Author:** ![code\_grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@code\_grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/code_grey)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/2 "2011-05-24T22:06:21Z")
you forgot the most important option: get government money for making bullshit public service announcements entitled “this is your brain on nicotine”. The lies will not spread themselves for free. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/3 "2011-05-24T22:08:13Z")
> [@code\_grey](#): > > you forgot the most important option: get government money for making bullshit public service announcements entitled “this is your brain on nicotine”. The lies will not spread themselves for free. I think this falls under “…and I would welcome it.” ---
**Author:** ![classyladyhp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5ac83/32.png) [@classyladyhp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/classyladyhp)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/4 "2011-05-24T22:15:04Z")
I would jump for joy…I welcome it. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/5 "2011-05-24T22:19:36Z")
I don’t smoke, and would welcome it. Of course I don’t typically interact, even by happenstance, with people who smoke, so it wouldn’t really affect my life. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/6 "2011-05-24T22:26:33Z")
I _would_ welcome the lack of cigarette smoke, but as it is, there are already only about three people in the state of Montana who smoke, so I already have that lack. So it wouldn’t really make much difference to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/7 "2011-05-24T22:30:03Z")
I would be happy that I wouldn’t have to curse at people who throw butts out of car windows or just toss them on the sidewalk. One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing cigarette butts littering the ground. As for the smoke itself. I don’t really go enough places that allow smoking for it to bother me. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/8 "2011-05-24T22:34:09Z")
I don’t smoke, but since I work in a prison, I’d be unhappy about the increased workload due to all the new incarcerations for nicotine drug crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Grapefruit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@Grapefruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grapefruit)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/9 "2011-05-24T22:34:14Z")
What about quitting aids, like the patch or nicotine gum? ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/10 "2011-05-24T22:41:04Z")
I’d quit \ because as a regular habit it’s not worth getting busted for, and, as a regular habit, would absolutely get me busted. Tobacco’s not worth it as a once-in-a-while thing; it’s a habit, not a pleasure. But pot, well, that’s different. That IS a pleasure, even if I only partake every decade or so anymore. THAT I would still do. So legality doesn’t have a LOT to do with it, but it does tend to weed out those things that are really not important or worth it. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/11 "2011-05-24T23:27:05Z")
I don’t smoke but I’ve only been off it since the beginning of Feb. Honestly? I’d be most worried about the tax revenue lost from cigarettes. I’d then also be worried about all of the new crime that comes from it. I would work to repeal the laws. I would not do anything illegal, though - it’s not THAT important. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/12 "2011-05-24T23:30:31Z")
1. Borrow from retirement fund. 2. Buy up all available cartons of cigarettes today. 3. Profit!!! ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/13 "2011-05-24T23:48:09Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > So legality doesn’t have a LOT to do with it, but it does tend to weed out those things that are really not important or worth it. I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![inkling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkling)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/14 "2011-05-24T23:58:53Z")
I don’t smoke, apart from the very occasional poker-night cigar. There’s really nowhere I go where smokers affect my life now that bars and restaurants are smoke free. I’d have no problem giving up the cigars I do smoke, and such a change would be unnoticeable to me for all practical purposes, so I voted meh. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/15 "2011-05-25T00:57:41Z")
I voted “I don’t smoke, and meh,” but in fact I’d probably become involved in efforts to repeal the law. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/16 "2011-05-25T01:04:59Z")
grow tomacco ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/17 "2011-05-25T01:54:14Z")
I don’t smoke, but I would actively (and legally) oppose the law as beyond the scope of what I expect my government to do. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/18 "2011-05-25T02:00:40Z")
Other. I’d quit, but not “happily”, and not because smoking is against the law, but because the price would be so high that I couldn’t afford to smoke. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/19 "2011-05-25T02:01:40Z")
_“I don’t smoke. Meh.”_ Yes, personally it would be nice to not have to smell the damned stuff. But we know from history how this story turns out already. I wouldn’t get involved in tobacco smuggling since I do disapprove of the stuff (and disapprove of getting shot at even more), but there _would_ be such a black market and there _would_ be a surge in violent & organized crime. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074/20 "2011-05-25T02:02:27Z")
> [@storyteller0910](#): > > I don’t smoke, but I would actively (and legally) oppose the law as beyond the scope of what I expect my government to do. This. I used to smoke, and it was hard to quit. But I still have the absolute right to kill myself slowly. I will actively oppose any politician who brings this up. I also think drugs should be legal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-cigarettes-or-tobacco-became-an-illegal-drug-tomorrow-what-would-you-do-poll-for-everyone/583074.md?page=2)