[DoughtyOne]

And that day will be the birth of a phenominally large black market, one that will rival drug cartels in size and scope.

That would be a very short sighted move.

[spectre]

Keep talking, Mike..so that all those who even think you might be Presidental material know exactly what we are in for...

sw

[spectre]

"Presidential"

[gidget7]

Hmmmmmm and this is the same Huckabee some folks here were touting for president?? Not a conservative by any stretch! Conservatives to not buy into nanny state theories.

[Publius6961]

He didn't really answer the question, did he.

Specifically, he did not explain why cigarettes continue to be sold. If they are that dangerous, it would justify banning their sale instantly. Of course, it would require more than merely opinion or anecdotal science or polls to prove scientifically that the danger is real.

To others, that is. Danger to oneself has never been nor should be prohibited by government.
The argument that the "state" ends up paying for poor choices by individuals is the most egregious legally imposed fraud in history. The most notorious red herring in ever. Nobody asked the state to do that. It was done specifically to manufacture the argument.

[muir_redwoods]

I think he's right. Things fade away. There aren't very many spitoons around any more and humans will eventually give up a pointless, death-dealing, expensive practice.

Things do change.

[bandleader]

Earth To Gov.Huckabee,Cigarettes Will Still Be Sold;The Government Will NO Longer Prosper As A Result!!!!!!!!!!!

[Marcaurelio]

"cigarettes eventually won't be sold because of their health risks.

And he's right.

Each smoker eventually will be stuffing their own cigarettes at about 1/6 current prices.

[Wolfie]

"When we look down the road, I would say 10, 15, 20 years from now, in a gradual fashion, smoking will probably be outlawed in the United States."
Tom Constantine
Administrator of the DEA
in an interview with ABC TV network,
05/28/98

[t_skoz]

Gov. Huckabee, you're coming to Manchester NH in a few weeks. Remember that we just voted down a smoking ban here, while you're the guest of statist RINO's who voted for it.

[RebekahT]

The good news about the "Clean Air Act" (which sounds like it came straight out of Brave New World, btw) is that it is one of the many reasons why Huckabee will never be POTUS. See, we Arkansans DO have something to be thankful for!!!

Let's continue spreading the truth about Huckabee, lest any FReepers or conservatives are led astray. :)

[Gabz]

Nanny State Ping..........

And this guy is thinking about the White House in '08?????????

I'd like to see him outlaw the sale of tobacco in Arkansas.......

[monkapotamus]

"'I think the day will come when we probably won't' sell cigarettes, Huckabee said on his monthly call-in radio show."

Better start building more jails and prisons now Huckster!

[unsycophant]

There's nothing worse than a reformed smoker or a former lard ass out to save the world from what ails it.

This sort of socially conservative activism is becoming a drag.

::cough::

[CSM]

"If cigarettes were introduced to the marketplace today, they wouldn't be sold. They'd never make it because what we didn't know when they were first created, sold and marketed is just how deadly harmful they were."

If automobiles were introduced today they would not be approved by the government due to the dangers they pose to individuals. If the Hoover Dam were proposed today it would not be approved due to enviro effects. If aspirin were introduced today it would not be approved due to the FDA requirements.

So what? The "Big Dig" is responsible for more deaths than exposure to second hand smoke.

[SheLion]

Oh sure.  This Idiot Governor is going to give up all these taxes from smokers?  I think not!  He talks out of both sides of his dirty mouth!!!!

Arkansas Information

Tobacco Taxes

Arkansas's excise tax per pack of cigarettes: $0.590
Arkansas's excise tax collection for the
fiscal year ending June 2002: $79,847,000

Sales tax on tobacco products: 5.13%

Federal excise tax per pack of cigarettes: $0.39
Total federal excise tax collections in fiscal year 2002: $7,512,700,000

Comparing Excise Taxes on Cigarettes, Beer and Wine

Number of six-packs of beer that must be sold in Arkansas to produce the same state excise tax revenue generated by one carton of cigarettes: 26.3

Number of bottles of wine that must be sold in Arkansas to produce the same state excise tax revenue generated by one carton of cigarettes: 22.9

Arkansas Smokers' Contributions to the State Economy - 2002

Arkansas smokers comprise only 25.5%1 of the adult population in the state. Here is what they already pay because they choose to buy a legal product:

Smokers Pay Excise Taxes2 $ 79,846,771

Smokers Pay Sales Taxes2  $ 32,876,060

Smokers Pay Tobacco Settlement Payments3 $59,189,991

Total: $171,912,822

[SheLion]

[WV Mountain Mama]

Perhaps the government should declare war on cigarettes. I'm sure it would be as successful as their war on poverty and drugs. And I'm not even a smoker.

[Gone GF]

Won't happen, at least not by government fiat. One only need look at prohibition and the current "drug war" to see how it would turn out.

[Wiseghy]

In Europe, a shocking number of people are seen rolling their own in public, undoubtably to avoid those high taxes.

Tax away or ban them; Americans will just adapt.