Should cigarettes be banned?

[Thunderdog]

Quote from Spydertrader:

...Clearly my rights end where the rights of others begin, but if anyone wants to complain about health insurance costs rising due to smokers, then they should plan on lumping the far greater numbers of obese Americans into a similar catagory. Unfortunately, Joe Camel finds himself banned, but Ronald McDonald continues to peddle 'Happy Meals' to millions of overweight children while the government gives the 'thumbs up.'

There is wisdom in those words, and I knew someone would bring it up. As I noted earlier, some foods are less healthful than others, but they are still food. They can still provide some form of sustenance, such as it is. Obesity is largely a matter of excess. But, as I also mentioned earlier, no amount of tobacco consumption is "acceptable" from a health standpoint. Therefore, the distinction is more black and white as it relates to "tabaccy."

I think that parents who allow their young children to grow obese should be charged with negligence. I also think that junk food advertising aimed at children should be illegal. It is almost as repugnant as advertising tobacco to children. Young kids don't know any better and then they get hooked, on one form of crap or another. Children need to be protected by all adults, and not only by their parents. There is capitalism, and then there is frontier capitalism. We need to make a choice.

 

[armoured saint]

a cheeseburger and fries aren't food. they're entertainment, just like tobacco. or coffee

 

[macal425]

I am sure there are studies out there and if I wasn't too lazy to get off my cigarette smoking, burger eating, alcohol drinking ass, then I could probably check, but I wonder whether the early dying smoker is more or less of a financial burden on our economy when other factors are taken into account.
1. Early death means less SS payments by the Gov, therefor the early diers end up subsidizing the late diers. (smokers subsidizing non smokers)
2. There is more demand for healthcare, on average, the older one gets. Is the extra healthcare required over that extra 6-7 years of life greater than the healthcare that was required due to the effects of smoking?
3. I believe that tobacco taxes are higher than taxes for most other purchases. Assuming that the non smoker spends his extra cash saved by not smoking on other items taxed at a lower amount, then the average smoker will contribute more taxes per dollar earned and spent over a lifetime than the average non smoker. Do these extra taxes paid cover whatever extra healthcare costs the smoker incurs?

 

[Thunderdog]

You raised a couple of good points, macal. You should read Dr. Andrew Weil's Healthy Aging, regardless of how old or young you are. Really. In that book, he writes that healthy aging is about living as long and as healthy as possible and then, at a ripe old age, to have a very quick descent. The alternative is either a shorter or almost as long life with a long, agonizing descent along the way. A lot of ailments are the result of premature aging attributed to lifestyle choices. It is premature aging that becomes drawn out, painful and expensive.

Read the book. You'll be glad you did.

 

[hoodooman]

I quit smoking 38 years ago when the guy across the hall from me died suddenly of lung cancer. He was 39.

Since then, I have known at least four other friends my age that have died from the same disease.

One of my best friends was in the doctors office when he had a hemorrhage and choked to death on his own blood.

Not a good way to go.

 

[TM_Direct]

I detest cig. smokers..the stench is aweful...yet up until recently i was a cigar enthusiast....weird....I literally could not kiss girls who smoked cigs..

 

[youngtrader]

Glad you guys aren't ripping on chew I love that stuff!

The truth is this is america and we can do whatever the fuck we want plain and simple. Sometimes having too much freedom can be a bad thing but no turning back now.

If you want to go drink yourself silly, then do it. If you want to smoke your brains out, then do it. If you want to eat as many double cheeseburgers as you can, then do it. Thats why they call this country a free country.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Thunderdog]

Quote from youngtrader:

Glad you guys aren't ripping on chew I love that stuff!

The truth is this is america and we can do whatever the fuck we want plain and simple. Sometimes having too much freedom can be a bad thing but no turning back now.

If you want to go drink yourself silly, then do it. If you want to smoke your brains out, then do it. If you want to eat as many double cheeseburgers as you can, then do it. Thats why they call this country a free country.

Just my 2 cents

Quick, someone wave a flag!

(Actually, I think you're allowed to eat, drink or smoke yourself to death in most if not all countries, free or otherwise.)

 

[neophyte321]

Quote from acronym:

Notice, i didnt say tobacco products-the reason for this, is to be inclusive of the various crap posing as quitting aids etc, and the fact chewing the stuff oughtta be repulsive to all but a truly tiny minority.
Baseball players, mainly.

Roll your owns, also gone, if you want to get nicotine, they have filters to banish tar/smoke, oddly, banned for sale in many places due to use by health conscious marijuana smokers.

Go figure.

While im on the topic, how about tens of thousands of places for nicotine addicts in recovery, or for that matter recovery from any drug, WITHOUT compulsory medication as an option?
Who do they think they are kidding, compulsory meds are a FRAUD.

It will never happen, due to the stranglehold of big pharma, but gee its a nice thought.

booze and cigars are the only things I have to live for ... you might say they've saved my life ... be very, very wary of attempting to deny me of them.

everyday spent gives me more reason to sock someone ...

 

[nutmeg]

booze and cigars are the only things I have to live for ... you might say they've saved my life

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Bravo. clap... clap... clap... You are who you are. Never know what it is in life that defines the other person.