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Full ban on smoking?
BillieTheBot
Posts: 8,721 Bot
As you may have heard the Lancet, one of the big doctors magazines has run an editorial suggesting that a full ban on smoking is a good idea. As in making it illegal.
All the responses I heard to this, from the news and from the health secretary himself said that this was an extreme answer. But is it only an extreme response because smoking is socialy acceptable?
When you look at it from a medical stand point is this really such a crazy idea, smoking is the most addictive drug on the market, I'm pretty sure it kills more of it users than any other and is damaging to those around the user as well.
But then obivously the social fall out from a change in the law such as this would be big. What do you do with the smokers that are around who then would be criminalised? And what do you do with the black market that is bound to be created.
I am in favor of relaxing the drug laws, but well this idea does present an interesting question. However my view on this may well be coloured by the fact that I dont smoke and dont really like smoking.
What are your views?
All the responses I heard to this, from the news and from the health secretary himself said that this was an extreme answer. But is it only an extreme response because smoking is socialy acceptable?
When you look at it from a medical stand point is this really such a crazy idea, smoking is the most addictive drug on the market, I'm pretty sure it kills more of it users than any other and is damaging to those around the user as well.
But then obivously the social fall out from a change in the law such as this would be big. What do you do with the smokers that are around who then would be criminalised? And what do you do with the black market that is bound to be created.
I am in favor of relaxing the drug laws, but well this idea does present an interesting question. However my view on this may well be coloured by the fact that I dont smoke and dont really like smoking.
What are your views?
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
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Comments
I don't really smoke myself except for socially occasionally (because I know that I'm going to get asked that question).
I know the dangers of passive smoking are somewhat unclear, but, well it cant be great for you can it, I think that much is bloody obvious.
I'm not sure that a public ban is a great idea, I'd say that trying harder to get kids not to take up the habit would be more effective in reducing the over all numbers of smokers.
I would definitely like to see more no smoking areas in pubs and stuff as well because cigarette smoke also makes my nose go really blocked up and it isn't a pleasant experience having to sit around blowing your nose all night.
My boyfriend smokes and he knows I don't like it and in the long run if we were to stay together and have children and stuff I'd want him to give up, but for the moment it is his decision as long as he doesn't do it round me too much.
No but the fact that smokers contribute £9.3bn in taxes to the treasury and yet smoking related illness only costs the NHS £1bn may have something to do with it.
From a medical standpoint it makes perfect sense. That said if this was outlawed on health grounds then we would also have to look at unhealthy foodstuffs too.
I have mentioned before that this argument does not make any sense.
It assumes that if people were not spending money on fags they would be hiding it under the bed or more generally doing something with it that is not taxed and is of no use to the economy, this is very unlikely........
However, I guess thats not where it would stop though is it, the companies would then re-invest in themselves and the cycle would continue. In the short-term though the government would loose out.
I personally dont think banning smoking in public is right- if you go in a pub you know what to expect. Making it so pubs have to have separate smoking and non-smoking rooms would be a good idea, but banning it outright is stupid. Smoking has been banned in pubs and restaurants in New York, and bar takings have decreased 40% since they did- as one bar owner said, his workers can now breathe clean air, but they dont have a job anymore.
Smoking in offices should be banned though, because you cannot choose to not work there. Bar-tendering you can, I suppose.
Restraunts are different, although I think most people have enough respect not to smoke until everyone has finished eating.
But that is somewhat beside the point, comparing one drug against another doesnt really mean a great deal in these sorts of things. Smoking is very addictive and very bad for you.
Actually, research does tend to show that the actual nicotine is not especially powerfully addictive, most addictions to nictonie are actually psychological. The nicotine leaves the bloodstream very quickly, and is only in a very small dose, and most of the "cravings" are habitual- after a meal, first thing in the morning, with a pint, that sort of thing.
How many other aspects of life are taxed a high as tobacco?
And you are right, they would spend their money elsewhere - I would suspect that a large amount would go to the blackmarket...
That doesn't make sense really.
IF both places are smokey then why does the worker in one have more rights than the other?
Few but i was simply making the pint that those figures do not tell the whole story, the loss to the govt would be far less than you implied..........
my head says you can't take away peples choice like that.
I have stopped smoking for over a month and since reading Allen Carrs book I know I will never smoke again but I don't want to take away peoples choice.
CAUSE OF DEATH NUMBER OF DEATHS GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE
DRUGS 221 £9,780,771
ALCOHOL 3,145 £553,756
SMOKING 99,432 £216,200
this meant that in 1987 the government was prepared to spend £44,000 to save the life of a heroin addict. £176 on an alcoholic and just £2.20 on a smoker.
Is a choice still a valuable thing if one of the options (e.g. smoking) is utterly stupid and not a choice that anyone would temselves want to make or that anyone would want people they love to make?
If you were standing at a road waiting to cross and a man next you started to walk across the road, almost certainly to be hit and injured by a vehicle and you pulled him back and asked him what he was doing, and he retorted that it was none of your business, he could do as he pleased, would you try and stop him or would you let him walk into the road?
Its true actually.
More should be done to help people realise the worthlessness of what they are doing.
Depends which research you believe really. But don't underestimate psychological cravings, they can be harder to beat than physical ones sometimes.
Definately ban smoking in all public places including pubs and clubs. There is absolutely no doubt that this should happen.
The media can also do a better job of keeping smoking out of their programmes and films, and by completely banning advertising.
As for banning cigarettes altogether, I wouldn't complain if it does happen, but realistically, I don't think it should.
Yes we know Mr.Karl Marx reincarnated.
:rolleyes: