Cigarettes - Why not ban them?, And I smoke Options

[Strafin]

Sorry if that doesn't work for you.

I pay tax which pays their benefit

They spend the money on fags and pay tax on them but they don't pay their rent cos they've spent it on fags

I pay tax which makes up the rent shortfall that they haven't paid and no court will be able to make them pay

I've paid, as you have as well, for their expensive habit.

Do you see my logic ?

Smokers don't work?

[Exhausted]

Smokers don't work?

You've come in a bit late, the conversation had drifted towards scroungers who smoke. Nothing personal.

[Biker1]

You've come in a bit late, the conversation had drifted towards scroungers who smoke.

You mean the ones who feel the need to break into smoker's ash stations to get the butts out?
So sad.

[newres]

Absolutely. Social change is far more effective. Criminalisation is a clumsy weapon.

Criminalisation is often the driver of social change - think racism, domestic abuse and indeed drink driving.

[Simon Kirby]

Criminalisation is often the driver of social change - think racism, domestic abuse and indeed drink driving.

I'm not entirely convinced that it was criminalisation that made those things socially unacceptable. For example, drink driving has been illegal since the nineteenth century before there were any cars on the roads, but it was really only after the TV campaign that it became socially unacceptable. I agree with you that criminalization can affect social attitudes, but it doesn't necessarily dictate attitudes, and to be honest I'm not sure it's healthy that smoking should be despised like drink-driving, I'm sure it would be more effective if it was just seen as anachronistic, like whitebait, space-hoppers, and cravats.

[motormad]

Smoking / Drinking will not be banned because of the taxation revenue.
Government says:

"SMOKING / ALCOHOL IS BAD FOR YOU. IT CAN KILL YOU. YOU CAN BUY IT IN YOUR LOCAL SHOP".

And yet, and sorry to go there, Cannibis, which is less harmful than either of the above, is illegal.

Why not sell cannibis in shops and tax it.............worked wonders in some parts of the USA.

Then again, if tobacco / alcohol came out now, in such a way that cannabis has taken center stage in the war against drugs, they would be illegal...

I don't care what people do so long as it doesn't effect me.
What i care for is hypocracy within a government .... it's laughable.


as for people who have no jobs / are on benefits getting a fag... you make allowances to get what you want.
when i was broke no matter how broke i was, i still had fuel in my car (my car obviously being my form of tobacco if that makes any sense).

[Andy Capp]

Smoking / Drinking will not be banned because of the taxation revenue.
Government says:

"SMOKING / ALCOHOL IS BAD FOR YOU. IT CAN KILL YOU. YOU CAN BUY IT IN YOUR LOCAL SHOP".

And yet, and sorry to go there, Cannibis, which is less harmful than either of the above, is illegal.

Why not sell cannibis in shops and tax it.............worked wonders in some parts of the USA.

Then again, if tobacco / alcohol came out now, in such a way that cannabis has taken center stage in the war against drugs, they would be illegal...

I don't care what people do so long as it doesn't effect me.
What i care for is hypocracy within a government .... it's laughable.


as for people who have no jobs / are on benefits getting a fag... you make allowances to get what you want.
when i was broke no matter how broke i was, i still had fuel in my car (my car obviously being my form of tobacco if that makes any sense).

Unlike

Agreed.

[JeffG]

And yet, and sorry to go there, Cannibis, which is less harmful than either of the above, is illegal.

Pros (few) and Cons (many): http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/drugs/pages/cannabis-facts.aspx

[Strafin]

I know quite a few people who dabble in cannabis and they are all Muppet now with no direction in life.

[Nothing Much]

Sorry Motormad, I am pretty strong on JeffG's "cons" point of view.
I have a son who took to weed in his 16s and his friends did as well.
We were all liberated parents , souls of the 60s.
So it was part of growing up. I didn't like smoking so I guess I was lucky.
I certainly have sunk a swimming pool of booze over the years.
But I still pay the bills.
It has wrecked at least 4 of my friends lives to have dope raddled middle aged children around our necks.
He's been unemployable for years. Nice chap. Sleeps all day and goes out after dark.
ce

[blackdog]

I know quite a few people who dabble in cannabis and they are all Muppet now with no direction in life.

And I know many who 'dabbled' for a while, and are leading normal productive lives having found no difficulty in giving up cannabis use. Much the same as alcohol, many partake in moderation to little disadvantage - a minority can be found begging on the streets for the price of a 'cuppa'. Some people just seem to be more inclined to addiction than others.

The issues with cannabis are mixed - on the one hand it is in itself less addictive and less harmful than legal drugs like booze or tobacco; on the other its illegality brings users into contact with users/dealers of more dangerous, harmful substances and the temptation to try them.

If you want someone to live a healthier life it is better they avoid all of these drugs, legal or not. If you see alcohol and tobacco as acceptable then it is difficult to argue against the decriminalisation of cannabis on health grounds.