The snowball is rolling

[Mirewen]

When the government is paying you, it can tell you to stop doing whatever it wants you to stop doing if you want to keep being paid.

Gotta agree with that one.

 

[Bluefrost]

If the government is going to provide health care, does this include help in the gradual reduction of the use of cigarettes? Maybe instead of banning cigarettes altogether, they could lower the price of the patches and gum products.

I'm not sure if that would help the situation -- I never tried them. But wouldn't help for addicts (cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, whatever) be a better solution than to ban it just so that people can make their own makeshift illegal substances which may be more hazardous to our health? I would support it, but I would not support raising the prices or banning of cigarettes.

 

[Morcheeba]

That's a great idea Blue. It's already in effect here though. Our insurance companies often provide coverage for Quitting-Smoking aids. I have gone that route twice now and I'm smoking yet again.

It's proactive though and you got to give props for that, not everyday insurance companies or our governments practice proactive thinking.

 

[Makelith]

Most places won't strongly back stop smoking aids because the majority of people are in your same situation, cheebs. You try to quit, but for whatever reason you aren't able to and go back to smoking. Which basically puts all the money they spent in the gutter.

I don't think the subsidized patch/otheraid market would fair too well either for the same situation.

 

[Morcheeba]

Most places won't strongly back stop smoking aids because the majority of people are in your same situation, cheebs. You try to quit, but for whatever reason you aren't able to and go back to smoking. Which basically puts all the money they spent in the gutter.

I don't think the subsidized patch/other aid market would fair too well either for the same situation.

I know. I agree it's a waste but of course I will take advantage of the support that's offered, the aid I've gotten has been Zyban, a prescription of Zyban is about $100/month. Now both times I was lucky enough to have stopped within 2-3 weeks and remained smoke free for over 6 months. First attempt was 8 months, second was 1.5 yrs. I can't say why I started again, I was stupid about it.

I strongly believe if it were illegal and difficult to get my hands on that would be the end of my addiction and so many others.

 

[Mirewen]

Smoking of any substance should be banned in my opinion. I hate walking down the street on a nice day, in a good mood when *bam* some inconsiderate asshole walks by and blows smoke in my face. Or when I'm sitting in my apartment (this happened last night) and some jackass decides to light up (in this case it was marijuana but it has happened with cigarettes too - both of which are not allowed). It was unbearably hot last night and I had to close my patio door because the smell was so rank. I also do not want this smell in my apartment because it sticks to everything, took lighting a vanilla pillar candle and spraying febreeze to get the smell out.

 

[Brightblade]

I strongly believe if it were illegal and difficult to get my hands on that would be the end of my addiction and so many others.

If they make it illegal, I'll head my happy ass down to mexico and buy a few boxes. I'll quit when I'm damn good and ready and no gov't is ever gonna tell me I cant.
"When they outlaw cigarettes, only outlaws will smoke"-a Winston bumper sticker I saw once.

 

[Morcheeba]

If they make it illegal, I'll head my happy ass down to mexico and buy a few boxes. I'll quit when I'm damn good and ready and no gov't is ever gonna tell me I cant.
"When they outlaw cigarettes, only outlaws will smoke"-a Winston bumper sticker I saw once.

That's nice, it's probably a bit more difficult for us Canadians to afford the trip down there to stock up then take the risk of getting busted at customs and losing all of our goods and possibly our freedom.

Yea the stupid would still smoke. I'm stupid now but the risk for TOBACCO is not worth it. It's fucking tobacco not pot in which I do take part which IS illegal, tobacco. jesus.

 

[Skaw]

If they make it illegal, I'll head my happy ass down to mexico and buy a few boxes. I'll quit when I'm damn good and ready and no gov't is ever gonna tell me I cant.
"When they outlaw cigarettes, only outlaws will smoke"-a Winston bumper sticker I saw once.

I'll stop driving when I'm damn good and ready, and no government mandated vision test is ever gonna tell me I can't!

 

[Brightblade]

I'll stop driving when I'm damn good and ready, and no government mandated vision test is ever gonna tell me I can't!

Thats different and you know it. I can drive and smoke and most likely no one will die or be seriously injured. I can't see and drive some will most likely be injured or die.
As for the "its just tobacco" Its the same thing to me as it was for the people in the 20's. It'll just cause people to do it underground. Even if I decided to quit smoking when they banned it I wouldnt rat out someone who decided they still want to. Underground smokers dens would probably flourish til the gov't realizes its a stupid ban and lift it.
If someone wants to kill themselves let them do it as long as theyre not bugging someone else. I wont smoke in a restaurant in, say, Ohio even though its legal cause I know there are plenty of people who dont smoke and don't like especially when they're eating.

 

[Mirewen]

I'm glad I live where I do. Smoking is damn near banned everywhere except on the streets, hell even some parks don't allow smoking. It's offensive, you're no better than car that hasn't kept up to air quality tests, you're sprewing hazardous chemicals from your mouth like an exhaust pipe.

 

[Neyla]

I wont smoke in a restaurant in, say, Ohio even though its legal cause I know there are plenty of people who dont smoke and don't like especially when they're eating.

Ohio has a smoking ban for all buildings open to the public, including restaurants. Been that way for a few years now.

 

[Zaltana]

I can drive and smoke and most likely no one will die or be seriously injured.

unless you're in final destination 12 and you drop the cig in your lap cause you hit a random bump that distracts you for 5 seconds and you fly off the edge of the bridge or swerve into the path of an 18 wheeler hauling gas tanks which explode.

saw the trailer for the 3d one today and couldn't help myself.

*on topic*

as I'm sure most here already know alcohol was once illegal, but its not anymore. if they try to ban cigs, although i would be happy if they do, i fear it wont last. I'm also of the oppinion that smoking is one if the dumbest things a person can do.

 

[Brightblade]

Ohio has a smoking ban for all buildings open to the public, including restaurants. Been that way for a few years now.

Ah last time I went like 3-4 yrs ago it was still leagal. I was standing outside finishing my cig, my cousins were staring at me wierd. I just assumed cause it was illegal in Cali it was illegal everywhere.

 

[Brightblade]

1.) unless you're in final destination 12 and you drop the cig in your lap cause you hit a random bump that distracts you for 5 seconds and you fly off the edge of the bridge or swerve into the path of an 18 wheeler hauling gas tanks which explode.

saw the trailer for the 3d one today and couldn't help myself.

*on topic*

2.) as I'm sure most here already know alcohol was once illegal, but its not anymore. if they try to ban cigs, although i would be happy if they do, i fear it wont last. I'm also of the oppinion that smoking is one if the dumbest things a person can do.

1.) Thats why I said most likely, cause I have dropped cigs in my lap or down between my seat and the center console. I have the sense to pull off to the side before I start looking for it.

2.) I know smokings retarded (get told by random anti-smokers like once a monthm, as if pulling smoke into your lungs is a good thing) but trying to do something you have no interest its damn near impossible to do. Thus I'll quit when I feel like it.

 

[Zoolander]

Eh, comparing a ban on Cigarettes to Prohibition in the 20's is different in many, many ways. The thing that irks me the most about cigarettes and sets it apart from other things isn't that it is bad for your health, tons of things are. The problem with cigarettes is that it is so fucking addictive. I cannot think of anything else that is legal that is so chemically addictive. Other substances might lead to addiction, namely alcohol, but no where near the level of cigarettes. Pretty much everyone who smokes cigarettes is addicted to nicotine...there is no way in hell you can say alcohol comes close to touching that. All of my friends drink, and I've never had any of them say every 15 minutes "shit, I need a drink this second" like my friends who smoke do.

 

[Tagrineth]

Smoking is like the ultimate dumbass tax. You're paying hundreds of dollars a year (in some cases, hundreds a month) to kill yourself and harm those around you. You're cool.

 

[Mirewen]

Unless you count drunk driving (which IS illegal) you can't compare alcohol to cigarettes as being as harmful though. There is no second hand drinking in which you expose an innocent person to being drunk. That is probably why prohibition wasn't really necessary, because it's only harming the consumer.

 

[Brightblade]

1.I spend $2,730 a year in cigarettes between my fiance and I. I don't do it to be cool, although I guess thats why I started when I was 13.
2. Full blown alchoholics, like 5 or 6 of my buddies are, can't just quit drinking and be OK. They have to cut down slowly or else they have violent shakes and vomiting sweating profusely and all the other things a hard core drug user would have to go through. Cigarettes you get a couple headaches maybe a bit irriatable but nothing really worse then that.
3. I've never in my life said "I don't know officer. We were just sitting around having a couple cigarettes and she said something I didnt like and I hit her." or "I was at a club smoking it up, and this dude who all smoked out on cigarettes fucking freaked out on me because I was dancing with his girl, thats why he smashed his box of cigarettes over my head and thats why I'm bleeding." No man has ever said "I had one too many cigarettes and tripped over a rock and landed into a bonfire we had going on at the beach." (<- last one happened to my buddy who got smashed, like he did every day, plowed outta his mind and tripped on a rock into the fire, had to have surgeries on his legs cause of 3rd degree burns).
Point is no one ever seems thinks about or remember the way legal drinking gets people put into the hospital or jail all the time, not including illeagal things like drunk driving. Imma go out on a limb and say legal drinking is probably half the reason any domestic abuse issue starts.
Edit: if I dont answer for a couple minutes its cause im going outside where it affects no one and have a smoke after all this talk.

 

[Mirewen]

2. Full blown alchoholics, like 5 or 6 of my buddies are, can't just quit drinking and be OK. They have to cut down slowly or else they have violent shakes and vomiting sweating profusely and all the other things a hard core drug user would have to go through. Cigarettes you get a couple headaches maybe a bit irriatable but nothing really worse then that.

Again, if your friends choose to drink, it's their bodies they are fucking over.