Discussion Topic: Total Tobacco Ban.

[tonyrocks922]

How exactly can places justify banning dip or chewing tobacco?

I mean, they wave around their discredited studies on the ill effects of second hand smoke, but what harm could possibly be done to anyone (else) by dipping? Why not ban chewing gum and sunflower seeds?

[Razorhog]

If it was illegal, I wouldn't do it. But it makes my blood pressure go up just thinking about it.

[SmokeyJoe]

Originally Posted by Razorhog

If it was illegal, I wouldn't do it. But it makes my blood pressure go up just thinking about it.

Yeah... I need a cigar.

[BamBam]

Originally Posted by renton20

The powers that be learned from that. Instead of an outright ban, they are just cutting off where we can smoke, one place at a time. I believe a law was just passed in cali banning smoking in privately owned condos and apartments. Next will come houses and all public places.

The funny thing about marijuana is that when it was first outlawed, it was not really illegal. They simply required a tax stamp on marijuana sold or possessed. Only problem was that no such stamp existed.

To answer your question, will smoking ever be outlawed entirely, no. Will it be illegal to smoke in restaurants, bars, workplaces, indoors or outdoors? Probably within the next 10 years.

I can see it now. TOBACCO IS NOT ILLEGAL TO POSSESS....YOU JUST CAN'T USE IT.

[jloutlaw]

The smoking nazi's want to completely ban smoking. They know that will never happen-so the next step is to tax it so that no one can afford to buy their smokes. That just creates black markets which makes tobacco similiar to pot.

[TheRealBonger]

I work in the oil and gas industry and I see these idiots out campaigning about windfall profits tax to lower prices. That has to be the stupidest idea I have ever heard of, (in order to reduce price?) . Tobacco is the same way, we will raise the tax in order to pay for something that we should not be involved in, and everyone just accepts and re-elects these idiots. Every new tax makes fewer people pick a larger portion of the bill. How about we vote so normal citizens in to office, and set some term limits on congress, just like the president. Everyday watching these political idiots makes me sick to my stomach.

[doctorcue]

Sin tax... because we are bad we must pay. Alcohol: TAX IT! Tobacco: TAX IT! Ignore that most of us here pay our taxes & commit no crimes. We are killing people left & right.

McDonalds artery clogging burgers? They give out toys & let seniors drink cheap coffee!
Processed foods with enough salt to cure us? Food for emergencies!
Cola companies fattening us with sugar? It tastes better than our unhealthy tap water!

See... everything else is ok. Just the burning of natural leaves will do you in. SMOG, pollution, chemicals in food, etc... that is all hype.

[gehrig97]

The question was, would you continue to smoke cigars if they were made illegal, a la marijuana?

I've been pondering for quite a few minutes... would it be any different than, say, smoking a Cuban cigar today? I would seriously consider civil disobedience in the face of an unjust law...

[mdtaggart]

Originally Posted by tonyrocks922

How exactly can places justify banning dip or chewing tobacco?

I mean, they wave around their discredited studies on the ill effects of second hand smoke, but what harm could possibly be done to anyone (else) by dipping? Why not ban chewing gum and sunflower seeds?

gotta watch out for the second hand spit!

[nonameman]

That would be one big NO! I'll smoke whatever I like no matter what my asinine government decides to do about tobacco.

I'll never buy the secondhand smoke crap either. People complained about the smell of tobacco before they started preaching about secondhand smoke. Man, I loathe perfume but I wouldn't want anyone to ban it. Trust me, if all tobacco smoke smelled like flowers or fresh baked cookies this would be a non issue.

Rant over. Time to enjoy a cigar!

[Gargoyle]

People don't like the smell of cigars? That's fine and I can accept that. Can we have a ban if someone is cooking some smelly-assed seafood that I don't like the smell of and it drifts over to my yard?

Well, smoking is a health issue you say? What if I'm alergic to tree pollen? Surely there are people out there that are allergic to pollen. Nuke all trees.

Even get hit by a rock when you were a kid or trip on some loose soil on the ground? Let's ban that too.

Too many damn stupid people in this country that can't mind their own business. If tobacco was illegal, I'd still smoke it. Hell, if I could find the right suppliers, maybe I could smuggle it in and become rich like the Kennedy clan and financially set up my future generations.

[vstrommark]

Just thought I'd toss this into the mix, since people mentioned pot. Got it from a motorcycle discussion list.

Today, a bill to eliminate all federal penalties for marijuana
possession was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008,"
introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), would eliminate the
threat of arrest and prison for the possession of up to 3.5 ounces of
marijuana and/or the not-for-profit transfer of up to one ounce of
marijuana. It would not affect federal laws prohibiting selling
marijuana for profit, importing and exporting marijuana, or cultivating
marijuana. It also would not affect any state or local laws and
regulations.

Because almost all marijuana arrests are made by local and state police,
the primary impact of this federal bill is twofold: First, it would
offer protection to people who are apprehended with marijuana in federal
buildings or on federal land (such as national parks); and, second, the
bill sends a message to state governments that the federal government is
now open to the notion of states reducing their marijuana penalties, too.

[nonameman]

Originally Posted by Gargoyle

People don't like the smell of cigars? That's fine and I can accept that. Can we have a ban if someone is cooking some smelly-assed seafood that I don't like the smell of and it drifts over to my yard?

Well, smoking is a health issue you say? What if I'm alergic to tree pollen? Surely there are people out there that are allergic to pollen. Nuke all trees.

Even get hit by a rock when you were a kid or trip on some loose soil on the ground? Let's ban that too.

Too many damn stupid people in this country that can't mind their own business. If tobacco was illegal, I'd still smoke it. Hell, if I could find the right suppliers, maybe I could smuggle it in and become rich like the Kennedy clan and financially set up my future generations.

Well said! I'm going to stay away from this discussion before I blow a fuse.

[King Leonidas]

[SIZE=7]I smell a revolution building [/SIZE]

[nozero]

Originally Posted by skibumdc

Federal buildings have that way for as long as I can remember. We have designated areas that smokers hang out

That was in 1997, but they had a year to comply. I smoked at my desk from 1976 until Clinton did this...

''Our Federal workers and the thousands of people who visit Federal facilities will now be protected from the risk of secondhand smoke,'' the President said in his weekly radio broadcast from the Oval Office."

Had they not done this, they would have had to provide non-smokers with smoke free work areas or face tons of lawsuits.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...5BC0A961958260

I agree that a busniess of any kind should have the option to decide. I'm just disappointed that some places permit the smoking of cigarettes, but not cigars, especially bars, pools halls, and bowling alleys.