We, the People, are not serious about banning smoking.

Great Debates
1

If we were, we would be on our legislators’ backs to change one fundamental requirement which keeps it legal: Age of Possession.

Currently, the age of possession in all states is 19. If we truly wanted to keep kids from starting this habit, if we were truly serious about ridding ourselves of this scourge forever, we would change the age of possession to 20 and do it this year.

Next year, we would make it 21.
Then …

22 in 2007
23 in 2008
24 in 2009
25 in 2010
26 in … Well – I think you get the picture.

By **gradually ** raising the legal age, we will allow time for tobacco growers to learn how to make a living growing something that’s a little less hazardous. Manufacturers, Distributors and Retailers will all have time to see the writing on the wall and find replacements for these products and create new profit centers.

We also allow those who currently choose to continue to smoke the freedom to do so. We could even freeze prices (and taxes) where they are now.

This would just make it tougher every year for our children to get hold of tobacco products.

When the legal age at which you may purchase, use or even possess tobacco products becomes 50 years of age, it’ll be pretty tough for teens to get hold of that junk. I’m pretty certain that it will be nearly impossible to use a fake ID when the minimum age is 71!

To reinforce this, we need to toughen up the laws regarding the crime of providing tobacco products to underage persons.

Make it a felony.
With mandatory jail time.
And HUGE fines.

Once it is proven how well this works, we should probably consider doing the same thing with booze, slowly phasing it out over several decades. Prohibition did not work when it was tried because the method was seriously flawed. Ya just can’t get that many people to quit cold turkey at the same time. However, I honestly believe it would have worked if the government had used this approach … because society needs to be weaned off of such things.

As it stands, though, govenment is too addicted to the tax revenues to even consider such an action for debate – let alone actually pass such legislation. After all … how would they replace all that money???

What say you?

Any legal or legislative types out there care to weigh in?

btw - I’m a recovering smoke-aholic (*or whatever the equivalent term is * …) I started smoking at age 11. Smoked until age 51. Averaged 3.75 packs/day. (2 packs a day = heavy smoker? No way!) Celebrating 17th week smoke free. Hating it / loving it / hating it. And I’ve been sober for 23 years, 26 days 23 hours. Still recovering – finally loving it.

2

I weep for the future. When did people stop believing in freedom of choice for each individual? You can’t teach people right or good behavior by controlling their actions. A person has to have their own sense of value and responsible behavior. All you will do is create rebellion. You are not your brother’s keeper.

Nothing more to be said.

3

Congratulations on quitting, it’s tough, and I myself have tried a number of times.

Just wanted to point out that the age of legal purchase of tobacco products is mandated by the states, not the feds. Here in GA it’s 18 years old, next door in Alabama, it’s 19 years old. I am also fairly certain that unless you are at a public school or other government facility, being in posession of tobacco products underage is not a crime (in GA). It’s the sales and purchase that are so enforced.

As someone who started smoking when I was 12, I don’t think your proposal would work. If someone wants something badly enough, some little law like legal age isn’t going to stop them from getting it. There has to come some point in a person’s life where they can be said to be reasonably able to make their own choices. It wouldn’t go over to well to limit tobacco products to anyone over the age of say, 21, who can buy alcohol and are otherwise legal age for all other regulated activities.

In my experience, most teens now don’t smoke. Cigarettes, anyway. I think we’ve already made major progress in education about the dangers of smoking.

4

Almost nobody wants to outright ban smoking.

5

Every time I see a post like this , I want to go out and buy some kid a pack of smokes just to piss you off

QUITTER

Declan

6

I for one welcome our new nanny overlords.

Even if it worked, why is it you think you have this right by force to decide what your neighbour does with his life, when he’s clerely not hurting you? Moral authority given by majority and might?

7

It is or would be a massive disaster. Think of that other “noble experiment” that was Prohibition. It did not stop drinking. People simply bought their booze from smugglers and gangsters. I am going to assume you (the OP) do not approve of smoking. My retort is “so what?”. As was already stated, there is a sticky problen in taking away the freedom of choice. There is a problem with the “we know what’s best for you” attitude. Your proposal about constantly raising the minimum age limit is transparent. Some want to apply it to retirement ages too. The ultimate goal is to keep raising it in increments until the day that nobody qualifies.

Why is it that whenever someone has a pet peeve, they right away want to make a law against it? There are things that I think are gross and nasty too, but I don’t automatically press for laws against them. It is a slippery slope. Where do you stop?

8

God Damn It I want a cigarette. Bad. 6 days now.

9

Well…it’s not so bad. At least you have a choice whether you are going to smoke one or not.
Congratulations on the 6 days! :smiley:

10

LucyInDisguise – go HERE & learn something!!

11

I’ll agree with even sven and the thread title. We the people don’t want to ban smoking. I didn’t want cocaine,LSD, or marijuana banned either- but unfortunately they did that before I was born, so I was unable to intervene on behalf of the people.

12

Hey I am a little over two weeks having quit!

Ooooh… those first couple of days are rough though…

I don’t really get physical symptoms anymore, but the mental ones are still there. I fill like there is something missing in my life.
Also… sorry, I think people should be able to smoke if they want to. Sure they are addicting and everybody knows that. Now in your case, having started at age 11, that’s bad. But when I started, I was around 16, and I could tell when I was getting addicted, and I did it anyway. But I still want people to have the right to smoke. We already have this world nerfed up too much anyway.
BTW, to anyone quitting. One thing that has really helped me through the quitting is actually having a cigarette once in a blue moon. Actually the point is that although I want the nicotine badly, after you get your sense of taste back, it tastes very bad. I had my first “Post Quit” cigarette about 3 days after I quit, and it made me sick (like the first time you smoke) and it also tasted awful (not good like when you smoke all the time). Remembering this helps me not relapse. Now I’m fine, but I still wish that I wasn’t addicted, and could smoke occasionally while still enjoying it like I used to.

13

I disagree with this as well. “We, the people” doesn’t make something right, either. What if “We, the people”, or the majority, did want to ban smoking and/or alcohol?
If I choose to smoke, if I choose to drink, that should be my choice. If, and only if, I am harming somebody else in the process should it become an issue that involves taking away that right. If I smoke and drink in my own home, frankly, it is no one else’s business. If I drink in a bar and find a safe ride home, it is nobody else’s business. If I smoke around someone who dislikes it, then it is that person’s business, and out of respect for that person, I would stop. I would expect them to do the same type of thing for me.
It’s so simple, people.
Now, I better go gorge myself on some salty, greasy chips before “We, the people” prohibit me from raising **my own ** blood pressure in an attempt to make me live my life the way “We, the people” want me to live it.

ahem Sorry for the outburst, I couldn’t help myself. :smiley:

14

Never claimed to be … wouldn’t want to be.
Please read on, I’ll try to pick up a couple of the other issues.

Thank you. Smoke-Away helped. Don’t ever stop trying …

You are so right! Education is the key – however, I see nothing wrong with restricting access to something which has proven to be harmful to a significant percentage of those who choose to partake.

The issue of restricting access is not related to free choice when many years of deliberate deception by corporate executives in the persuit of the almighty buck is what got so many people addicted to tobacco products to begin with.

I, and every one of the smokers with whom I’ve had this discussion with, when pressed to reveal their honest opinions, all believe and agree with the fact that had we been mature and educated enough before gaining access to cigarettes, in other words if we had had time to develop our “own sense of value and responsible behavior”, we would have exercised our free choice not to start. We were denied the information needed to make the choice freely. (Please pardon that horribly run-on, comma-spliced sentence …)

Oh, yeah … I loved to smoke. Oh, how I miss it. And Yes, I was out there leading the charge to damn all who condemed or attempted to regulate or ban the practice while I still smoked. Could never see myself on the other side of the fence.

… Even after watching (for seven years) the manner in which smoking killed my mother, (for nine years) my aunt, and two more years with a dear friend. And I’ll probably bury more friends/relatives. Even though we’ve quit, someone (our kids?) will probably end up watching me and my wife die from complications of so many years of puffing on those weeds. It ain’t like walking out in front of a bus – BAM!! – it’s over with. The effects may take years to exhibit themselves. My aunt quit 17 years before the lung cancer appeared. Took nine more to kill her.

And, if you read the original post carefully – you’ll find that I’m still willing to defend any adult’s right to choose to smoke. Nor do I wish to regulate or control those who study the risks and still make the choice. For those of us who have survived to some level of maturity, it’s kinda like the helmet law thingy. “Whatever trips you’re trigger.”

Look I know this is a very emotional issue. More than eight posts while I was composing this …

I’m just searching (somewhat desperately) to find a way, any way, to make it tougher to keep it out of the hands of our children, our grandchildren, and the grandchildren of our grandchildren. Perhaps mine isn’t a perfect plan. Believe me, I’m willing to concede the point.

Go back up three paragraphs and read that again. No one should have to experience that.

Then come up with something better.

15

Normally I snip this crap , too emotional and takes you out of the decision loop as you are too biased , but what was the point here ?

Declan

16

No point of sale advertising/product displays.
Tie cigarette sales to alcohol sales- sell to minors you don’t get to sell booze no more.

17

Thanks for the link.

Been there though…

It didn’t work then – still wouldn’t work now.

Go back and read my original post again … :slight_smile:

18

Too emotional. It’s been 11 years since mom died. Aunt died 14 years ago. Carmen died 8 years ago. I think I’ve had time to calm down a bit.

Point? Smoking will kill a significant percentage of people who chose to smoke. Not even a majority, but enough to justify some attempt to reduce the numbers.

Read my other post if my motives still don’t make sense. :slight_smile:

19

The key word is is “choice”. They CHOSE to smoke. No one was forcing cigarettes into anyone’s mouths.

I’m sorry for your losses. Honestly, I am. But appeals to emotion instead of logic are not going to prove your case.

20

:cool:

That’s more like it.

Let’s see if we, as rational adults, can do some serious brainstorming here … :smiley: