[Fox]

There have been several discussions about social security. Maybe we should remove all restrictions on tobacco to save it. There are judges that will use the 1st amendment to eliminate restrictions on advertising. Movie stars will light up on big screen and television as tobacco companies pay for product emplacement.

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

We should have a national age of majority/consent and all the states should adopt it and be done with it.

 

[JohnBT]

More tobacco use = higher health care costs, higher Medicare costs, higher Medicaid costs, higher disability costs.

And more butts to pick up. Ever see someone dump their car's ashtray in the road at a red light? The good old days.

And more stinky breath people wearing smelly clothes.

 

[Grabbrass]

More tobacco use = higher health care costs, higher Medicare costs, higher Medicaid costs, higher disability costs.

And more butts to pick up. Ever see someone dump their car's ashtray in the road at a red light? The good old days.

And more stinky breath people wearing smelly clothes.

Sounds like you're saying that when it comes to limiting freedom of choice through social engineering for the sake of the collective norm, you're a fan. Mob rules. Would you say we should also ban motorcycles, all recreational boating, swimming pools, alcohol, skydiving, rock climbing, hang gliding, scuba diving, auto racing, and sex before marriage? Guns?

 

[wrenrj1]

Your question should be "How do we fix social security?"

 

[Darkangel1846]

People who smoke will smoke no matter what the government says or does.
It's their choice so all we have to do is say where they can smoke. Their home, car but not in populated areas like restaurants, movie theaters, bars. I still think vaping is the way to go.

 

[Sechott]

If all the “sin” tax went to medical care for the tobacco dependent, then I’m all for it. But, we all know the money goes to the socialist, communist, and fascist agenda of the Left.

 

[Doc Holliday]

And more butts to pick up. Ever see someone dump their car's ashtray in the road at a red light?

Yep, what the hell, they can't wait two more minutes until they get home? They should get a $500 ticket for littering for doing that, maybe even more if they're in the hot, dry southwest that can catch fire...and did you EVER see a smoker driving down the road, with the windows rolled UP, enjoying the smoke? Nope, they've got the window all the way down and hold the cigarette outside because they can't stand the stink of it. I don't want to smell that sh...stuff either, so get it out of my face at the stoplight. They should roll up their window and keep it to themselves. Vapers are even worse, with their toxic cloud.

Smoking, drinking, sexing and gambling are all recession-proof businesses. People will ALWAYS find money for them, no matter how difficult their situation is.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

I was in California for work. I learned that tobacco was a nope, vaping/e cigarettes were about to be banned, but you could get marijuana delivered.

They were planning to pay the shop owners for lost revenue from vape stuff. But only the shop owners that were minorities, or illegal immigrants. If you were neither, you didn’t qualify for the handout. All this from the local news in San Francisco.

 

[treg]

Your question should be "How do we ELIMINATE social security?"

FIFY

 

[Grabbrass]

If all the “sin” tax went to medical care for the tobacco dependent, then I’m all for it. But, we all know the money goes to the socialist, communist, and fascist agenda of the Left.

Even most of the money States got out of the tobacco industry from suing them didn't go to medical care for the tobacco dependent. But, money is fungible so that's kind of a side argument. Still, it'd be interesting to see if the excise taxes collected by government over the decades offset any increased healthcare costs incurred against the government by tobacco users, or if government in fact profited. I've read some stuff on this subject that said the lifer tobacco smokers who succumb to lung cancer and emphysema in their 70's actually rack up lower total healthcare expenses than the non-smoking types who live until their late-80's, early 90's, but spend their last 15 years in and out of the hospital, needing $$ pharm, getting surgeries, needing durable medical equipment, etc.

 

[n2g]

There have been several discussions about social security. Maybe we should remove all restrictions on tobacco to save it. There are judges that will use the 1st amendment to eliminate restrictions on advertising. Movie stars will light up on big screen and television as tobacco companies pay for product emplacement.

Your question seems to really be about Social Security, which is a more complex issue, but re tobacco:

No. Tobacco is a proven harmful, very addictive substance and there's nothing wrong with regulating it as such.

It would be a big step backward and would be especially harmful for young people. Tobacco use also impinges on the rights of other people who have to be around it. Second-hand smoke is known to be harmful and smoking by the mother is detrimental to unborn babies. I personally have trouble breathing around smoke and don't want to go back to the smoke-anywhere days.

Should we have speed limit laws and laws that require a doctor's Rx to obtain certain medicines?

Freedom doesn't mean that nothing should be regulated.

I'll also add that not everything is about money.







Trump/Republican 2020

 

[tallTexasdude]

Living in America is about choice to me. I unferstand it raises the cost of health care, but so does eating fast food. So does driving over the speed limit. So does not exercising.

If my country calls me up tomorrow, I’m there - even though my inactive reserve was over long ago. I will gladly fight for your right to be stupid so long as it doesn’t infringe upon the rights of others.

I wish some people I love would quit smoking, but it doesn’t seem like it’s gonna happen...

 

[JohnBT]

"Sounds like you're saying that when it comes to limiting freedom of choice through social engineering for the sake of the collective norm, you're a fan."

Where did you see that? You're seeing things that aren't there. :elephant: I was just predicting the future 'should we remove all restrictions'

I know my breath smells better since I quit. So does my dirty clothes hamper. I still miss smoking some days every once in a great while.

I meet some guys I've known for decades every Friday for lunch. They began meeting there because they could smoke indoors. The place finally went totally smoke free earlier this year. Now I don't have to wash my clothes when I get home after lunch and feel like I need a shower to get the stench out of my hair. There used to be too many beer drinkers at the bar chain smoking and the smoke eating machines in the ceiling couldn't cope with cloud. I knew the smoke was thick back when I smoked; I just didn't realize how bad it was until I quit.

 

[fastbolt]

You can't get rid of the huge cash cow that tobacco restrictions have allowed ... meaning loss of taxes resulting from evermore new restrictions. It's for the children (meaning politicians able to spend the money) ...

 

[Borg Warner]

For years we spent millions of dollars on efforts to try to get people to stop smoking and at the same time we spent an equal amount of money subsidizing tobacco farmers.:crazy:

But then tobacco users became a cash cow for the same government that engaged in this blatant stupidity and dscoverd that it was actually a brilliant way to tax low income people who they also subsidized.

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

Why should tobacco be saved?

 

[Tuner Sandwich]

Nicotine is a hell of a drug.

 

[Glolt20-91]

You can't get rid of the huge cash cow that tobacco restrictions have allowed ... meaning loss of taxes resulting from evermore new restrictions. It's for the children (meaning politicians able to spend the money) ...

A number of smokers in this part of the state travel to Indian reservations to buy pure tobacco, no additives and no taxes.

 

[sombunya]

Looks like this is turning into a cigarette thread.

Cigarettes are bad and I believe people that smoke today, knowing what we know, are using extremely poor judgement.

That being said, I also feel if an establishment wishes to allow smoking the .gov has no business in that decision. Post a sign on the door and if someone is offended by smoking, they've been warned.