Will cigarettes become illegal in the near future?

[Buck]

The "Drug War" is a lost cause and everyone knows that it is. Now comes a new war that will make millions of ordinary people criminals.

From the story......
"The battle over cigarettes is heating up -- and the momentum to criminalize tobacco smoking continues to build in the United States and around the world. "

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/149599/will_cigarettes_be_made_illegal_in_the_near_future_/

 

[Williamson]

Well prohibition worked great with alcohol so why not tobacco. :roll:

 

[Tim_Haggerty]

I doubt it will happen tomorrow, but I'm sure building my cellar up

 

[momus]

Well since the President smokes cigarettes....

 

[pasq0321]

I don't think it will happen. For all their talk against smoking, they can't afford to ban it. They take in too much in taxes.

 

[Harlock999]

I don't think it will happen. For all their talk against smoking, they can't afford to ban it. They take in too much in taxes.

Good point!

 

[hobie1dog]

Yep, it will just cost you $20.00 to buy a pack in the future

 

[Williamson]

Yep, it will just cost you $20.00 to buy a pack in the future

Bingo! It indeed seems like the overall plan of the antismoking crowd is to use taxes to reduce the number of smokers to what they consider an acceptable level while maintaining the revenue stream it creates by increasing the cost burden on the holdouts.

 

[whiskeywillow]

Not to mention a national ban on tobacco would probably bring this country to the brink of civil war. About 20% of Americans smoke cigarettes and even more enjoy tobacco in other forms. That's quite a large militia. :lol!:

 

[Greenleaf]

Civil war, no. About 99 percent of Americans are sissies. The only ones to revolt will be the ones with nothing to lose (if an outright ban ever happens, which it won't). Ah, all those times when I was really broke and just yearned for a street riot ... nevermind.

Tobacco prohibition has already been tried in many states at the same time of alcohol prohibition. Those statewide bans probably worked even less than the Volstead Act itself.

They'll be legal to buy, for a small fortune, buit illegal to smoke and perhaps even carry virtually anywhere. Of course, they like to say that pipe tobacco can be rolled as a cigarette, and they don't want us smoking, either.

When predicting the future, bet on the worst (as recent history has taught us). But, it's better to not think of it much at all. I'd rather just enjoy my smoke and forget about tomorrow. Hmm, maybe I'll get run over by a bus and won't live to see it. Screw it, wishful thinking is for dumb *****.

 

[Ol'Dawg]

There are probably some US politicians keeping an eye on Bhutan's initiative with their total tobacco ban and resulting felony penalties, before taking action here.

Bhutan's total tobacco ban

Jim

 

[Thomas Tkach]

Well since the President smokes cigarettes....

And during prohibition, the presidents visited speakeasies. That won't stop it. We have to elect smokers to all offices! :cheers:

 

[Jazzman]

Well here in Massachusetts, or TAXachusetts as we locals call it we've received $500 million in our settlement with Big Tobacco, PLUS we bring in $300 in tobacco taxes(even on chewing tobacco..huh?).

And we've allocated a total of.........wait for it.....$9 million for smoking cessation programs!! That's right roughly 1%. Our dolt of a Governor and Mayor of Boston continue to pass laws about where one can smoke and tax us into the stone age for smoking but do they really want us to quit? NO!

I'd like to mount a campaign someday to DARE theses politicians to OUTLAW tobacco. It would appear that they have us on the ropes..finish us off! Finish us off!!!!!

They never would.They'd fold like a cheap lawn chair in there hypocrisy. Tobacco will never be outlawed.

That excess money goes into the General Fund to hire political cronies and and fund university studies on the migration of the dung beetle and such.

So we're caught between a rock and a hard place. Granted I don't want tobacco to be made illegal, and have a bit of a stash. Hey it might be fun to be a bootlegger! Sadly we'll just have to endure the taxes for now.

Peace-Mike :twisted:

 

[Doc Manhattan]

I'll believe a total tobacco ban is coming when I see a piece of anti-smoking legislation or taxation pass without the support of Phillip Morris. Everything up to that point is just a symbolic gesture and another bucket to milk a reliable cash cow.

 

[Greenleaf]

Obama smoked, so what? He quit just so he could run for president, 'cause we could never have a smoker in the White House anymore. He'd be called the anti-Christ by EVERYBODY, including all those brainwashed apologetic smokers. Yeah, even smokers won't take a stand for tobacco, it's sickening.

That's why they won't need to crinimalize it.

 

[Patrick]

One thing is clear. They don't care about money. They don't care about debt. The tax rates are ideologically driven. There aren't high tax rates on tobacco because they want to make money, but it is because the big goal is to eliminate tobacco smoking. If there were a lower tax on tobacco, and the Government didn't spend so much on anti-smoking campaigns, they would actually make MORE money off of smokers. I think they have a vision of their ideal society, and the goal is to legislate and regulate it into existence.

 

[CLRV]

Well since the President smokes cigarettes....

And during prohibition, the presidents visited speakeasies. That won't stop it. We have to elect smokers to all offices! :cheers:

Veto power. Prohibition was an amendment.

 

[Markx]

Tobacco must be one of the easiest plants to grow. Even if you don't have any land you can still grow it in flowerpots for next to nothing.

 

[Mr. Grimm]

One thing is clear. They don't care about money. They don't care about debt. The tax rates are ideologically driven. There aren't high tax rates on tobacco because they want to make money, but it is because the big goal is to eliminate tobacco smoking. If there were a lower tax on tobacco, and the Government didn't spend so much on anti-smoking campaigns, they would actually make MORE money off of smokers. I think they have a vision of their ideal society, and the goal is to legislate and regulate it into existence.

I believe the current anti smoking push is all about money. The more they complain the more justification they have to raise the "sin" tax and people will support it. Already more is paid in taxes than profit for tobacco products. I don't think the gubment can afford to completely ban tobacco. It's still too much of a cash crop for taxes. And with more and more states legalizing marijuana it's going to be hard for the feds to explain why one smoke is legal and taxed and the other isn't.