Posted on 07/15/2004 8:58:38 AM PDT by Tolik
This society is fighting cigarette use through education and isolating it with legal restrictions. Why not the same for dope?
And you don't see any contradiction in your arguments?
Sorry, Orson. The end doesn't justify the means. Either the government DOES have the right to regulate what people do to their own bodies (without harming others), or it DOESN'T.
I hold the latter view. That doesn't mean that I think drugs aren't harmful -- it means that I regard personal responsibility more highly than state nannyism, and am content to let junkies suffer the rightful consequences of their stupid choices. If they break into people's houses or whatnot, then shoot them. Otherwise let them rot away.
Don't know what it is now, but prior to the big push to marginalize Drinking and Driving in the late 70s/early 80s, about 2/3 of all traffic fatalities involved alcohol...though from me way it was stated, it surely includes some drunk pedestrians wandering into traffic. This would translate into about 35,000 people a year.
No. Where do I say cigarettes were made illegal?
Interesting. So there was no need to ban alcohol, just DWI, eh?
Cigarette sales to minors are illegal, and have been for years.
Here's info from a Tennessee website:
Provided by Tennessee Grocers Association
1838 Elm Hill Pike, Suite 136
Nashville, Tennessee 37210
615.889.0136
800.238.8742
www.tga.citysearch.com
Penalties
Tobacco
A person that sells or offers to sell smoking material or smokeless tobacco products to a person less than 18 years of age is subject to a fine of $2,500. Three such occurrences will result in that person being barred from selling tobacco for five years from the date of the last conviction.
Smoking Paraphernalia
Effective July 1, 1986 a person must be 18 years of age to purchase smoking paraphernalia (cigarette papers, pipes, water pipes, cigarette holders and anything that holds tobacco to burn so the user can smoke it). A person selling smoking paraphernalia to a person less than 18 years of age is subject to a fine of $50 and 30 days in jail.
Required Postings
Each person who sells tobacco at retail must post a sign no smaller than 93.5 square inches to ensure that it will be read at each point of sale. It should state the following:
STATE LAW STRICTLY PROHIBITS THE SALE OF TOBACCO OR SMOKING PARAPHERNALIA TO PERSONS LESS THAN EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE. PROOF OF AGE MAY BE REQUIRED.
Age Requirements
Effective July 1, 1986 a person must be 18 to purchase smoking materials, smoking paraphernalia (cigarette papers, pipes, water pipes, cigarette holders and anything that holds tobacco to burn so the user can smoke it) or smokeless tobacco.
It is illegal to sell tobacco products to a person of legal age that intends to give or sell the products to a minor.
There are no minimum age requirements to ring, scan or collect money for the sale of tobacco or tobacco paraphernalia as long as the employee is under supervision of another employee that is at least 21 years of age.
In that case lets make it illegal for adults too!! That'll solve the problem!!
BTW, how many people are killing each other to control the cigarette trade? How many jails are full of cigarette pushers and users?
I remember when I lived in California, after they jacked up the cig tax yet again, we started seeing strong-arm robberies of cigarette warehouses and the theft of millions of dollars worth of tax stamps.
Just another symptom of prohibition.
What are you calling him? :-)
OK, then make smoking illegal.
You know that's where the health-nazis are headed.
I thought so too, but, then, it's how he wrote. Looking at the thread again, I must agree with you now.
What a dork.
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