Talks on Capitol Hill to Regulate Tobacco Industry Break Down

Smoke Club Newsletter ^ | 10-2-03 | By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos.

[Gabz]

Smokers, welcome to the War On Some Drugs.

We've been well aware of that inclusion for quite a long time.

[MrLeRoy]

Smokers, welcome to the War On Some Drugs.

We've been well aware of that inclusion for quite a long time.

Not all of you---see post #14.

[Judith Anne]

I clearly remember that--read the book several times at age 16...I didn't think it would ever be true, though...and now I realize how true it was BEFORE Miss Rand wrote the book...

[Gabz]

SheLion, far be it from me to wish to get into an arguement with you, but as others have pointed out here and on other threads, nicotine, like its relative caffeine, is technically a drug.

I don't buy in to the Bravo sierra that nicotine is more addictive than heroin or cocaine, but that does not change the truth that it is a "drug."

The vast majority of drugs are legal, just walk down the cold/cough or allergy aisle of any drug store or supermarket. Much of the stuff found on those shelves used to be available by prescription only, some as recently as a year ago.

Cocaine and marijuana were legal commodities at one time, just as both alcohol and tobacco have been illegal at times in the past.

Do I think the War On (some) Drugs is a horrendous waste of money and manpower? Yes, but that is not my fight. My fight, because I am only one person, is to keep tobacco from going the way of things like marijuana.

[steve50]

Didn't read it till I was 50. Wish I had been exposed to it at 16. The deification of business leaders was long outdated by the time she wrote it, but the portrayal of the "system" was scary accurate.

[Judith Anne]

Agreed.

[Vigilantcitizen]

Orwell was also quite the prophet.

[Judith Anne]

You have that right. I now hesitate before saying words like "Chigger, bigger, trigger," etc. ;-D

[cinFLA]

Drugs are illegal and you need a prescription in order to obtain them

That is MrLeroy's campaign; to make them legal to obtain without a prescription similar to beer.

[steve50]

Orwell was also quite the prophet.Agreed. I've gone back and re-read most of the classics from my childhood. Looking back, they seem more like prophecy than fiction.

[jmc813]

That is MrLeroy's campaign; to make them legal to obtain without a prescription similar to beer.

Why don't you tell SheLion your thoughts on smoking bans in restaurants and bars?

[cinFLA]

Why don't you tell her your thoughts on legalizing hard drugs?

[jmc813]

I think states should be able to set their own policies on drugs. The owner of Free Republic agrees with me.

[cinFLA]

I think states should be able to set their own policies on drugs. The owner of Free Republic agrees with me.

But you would prefer that they made hard drugs legal, right? I am not sure JR agrees with you on that.

[TKDietz]

Over-taxation and over-regulation are sure fire ways to kill an industry. While I'm no fan of paying taxes or putting up with government regulations, this is one place where I am all for it, at least to a certain degree. Nicotine is an extremely addictive drug and cigarettes are killing millions of Americans. I would never make them illegal, because when we totally prohibit a substance, we as a society lose all control over the market for that substance. And in the case of drugs, I believe governemt regulation is not only okay, it's necessary.

It's my understanding that cigarette smoking has gone down over the years considerably. It's down by close to half if I'm not mistaken since the early 1970's, especially among young people. It's difficult to pin down the exact reasons for this phenomenom, but education, regulation and taxation probably all had some impact.

Now all we need to do is follow the cigarette model with marijuana, legalize it, regulate and tax the crap out of it and see if we can't cut use like we've done with cigarettes. I don't know if I'd go that far with other drugs because some are just too dangerous and addictive, but it seems to me that when it comes to non-medical use of drugs, regulated markets are preferable to unregulated markets because at least society can have some measure of control over a regulated market. We should be quite conservative though when it comes to banning substances entirely. Liberal use of prohibition is a bad idea that doesn't succeed in its intended purpose and that does in fact cause a great degree of additional problems for society.

[jmc813]

But you would prefer that they made hard drugs legal, right?

Either your long-term memory is going or you're lying, as I keep track of the amount of times I tel you my position on hard drug legalization (It's currently at 8). Which is it?

[cinFLA]

Either your long-term memory is going or you're lying, as I keep track of the amount of times I tel you my position on hard drug legalization (It's currently at 8). Which is it?

Then you prefer to keep hard drugs illegal?

[jmc813]

Then you prefer to keep hard drugs illegal?

*sigh* OK, #9...I think the states should be able to set their own drug policies. In my particular state, I'd like to see pot legalized, but not heroin or meth, and I would vote in referrendums accordingly if need be.

Do you honestly forget the previous 8 times I've told you this?

[MrLeRoy]

Why don't you tell SheLion your thoughts on smoking bans in restaurants and bars?

I assume you were addressing cinFLA---who in typical cowardly fashion has not answerwed your question---but I'll answer anyway. I support a person's right to use tobacco or any other recreational substance on their own property or any property whose owner has agreed to it---therefore I am opposed to all smoking bans imposed by government on unwilling restaurant and bar owners.

[jmc813]

I support a person's right to use tobacco or any other recreational substance on their own property or any property whose owner has agreed to it---therefore I am opposed to all smoking bans imposed by government on unwilling restaurant and bar owners.

What say you, Mr. Cin?