What beneficial use (apart from tax) does this poison have in modern society?

It gets people outside into the beer gardens.

It gets people out of offices for a few minutes at least.

So the only reason something should be legal is if its beneficial?

You’re going to have your hands full banning an awful lot of shit, under that assertion

And what benefits does it have? As any 15 year old lad will tell you, it makes you look really really cool!

Well, the public purse would lose around ten billion pounds or so.

I don’t smoke anymore, but used to really enjoy a cigarette with an espresso in the morning, or with a beer. People who have never smoked don’t ‘Get it’ because it stinks, and if you’ve only ever had a few puffs on one it’s horrendous but after the bedding in period it’s actually quite pleasurable.

I did get sick of the cost, smell, and obvious health implications in the end and stopped smoking.

Obviously paying for treatment/quitting helplines is a huge drain on taxpayers money and if it were to be invented today I have no doubt that it would be illegal.

EDIT: After reading posts below I retract any words about “drain on taxpayers money” because I can’t substantiate that with any evidence 😛

But how much of that ten billion gets taken by NHS expenditure?

Indeed Flashy.Can I pre-empt the next comment about the cost to the NHS. Smokers die young and quickly. We don’t tent to linger on requiring years of treatment. And we don’t require much in the way of pensions. Its the healthy who should pay more tax really. We’re subsidising you lot, you know

Jus’ sayin, like

But how much of that ten billion gets taken by NHS expenditure?

About £5bn on the last report.

Seeing all the proven harm it does yeah go for it. Booze too, pretty sure we’d get around to legalising regulating and supporting all drugs (not just the select few a bunch of Victorians thought were ok) pretty damn quick if we did.

for harm reduction probably- its certainly the most dangerous to do long term and by some way

I dont think it would work though

prescription only

or the way the norwegians do it with wine n spirits

(Should add a disclaimer – I haven’t bought a single cigar in the UK for years. Tend to buy all mine overseas, and even then usually duty free. I was given a nice box of Monte 3s last week, which was bought in the UK, so at least some tax revenue can be attributed to me! )

Don’t smoke anymore, gave up years ago. Knowing what I know now, I’d never have started as a youngster.

I don’t think it should be made illegal, but I’m happy for it to be made as uncool and anti social as possible, mainly because it’ll discourage people from starting, and encourage people to stop.

😉

I thought it was cunnilingus that gave him throat cancer?..sure the cigars didn’t help either mind.

Just imagine the scenario.
An importer discovers this new plant called tobacco.
Goes to the Government health (whoever department).
Says he wants to sell it in the uk.
Government tests it.
Finds out all the medical niceties – Cancer, Emphecima, etc,etc,etc.
Importer asks if he can bring it in and sell it
What do you think the answer would be?

Yes of course tobacco should be made illegal. It is utterly bonkers when you think about it. Future civilisations will look back in great confusion over what we did to ourselves!

Despite liking a pint as much as anyone, I believe the greatest think we could do to improve the country is ban alcohol – or at the very least implement massively strict penalties for public drunkenness and alcohol-related antisocial behaviour/criminal activity.

iolo – Member
Just imagine the scenario.
An importer discovers this new plant called tobacco.inventor comes up with a means of generating energy via a series of carefully timed explosions using a highly flammable liquid
Goes to the Government health (whoever department).
Says he wants to sell it in the uk.
Government tests it.
Finds out all the medical niceties – Cancer, Emphecima, etc,etc,etc. inhernet dangers
Importer asks if he can bring it in and sell it
What do you think the answer would be?

The cat’s out of the box, I’m afraid, so your point is rather a moot one.

What do you think the answer would be?

How much will we make each?

Yes of course tobacco should be made illegal. It is utterly bonkers when you think about it. Future civilisations will look back in great confusion over what we did to ourselves!

It’s about 4,000 years since it was first used and we’re still not looking back.

It annoys me that smokers get to leave the building every hour or so for an extra break. I’d make them clock off.

It annoys me that smokers get to leave the building every hour or so for an extra break. I’d make them clock off.

Many companies make them clock off.

But thats only fair. You get that time back when we’ve died of emphysema, but you’re still loitering around in gods waiting room, sucking Werthers originals and smelling of wee 😛

And they built them a glass shelter which they don’t stand in when the suns out. 👿

inventor comes up with a means of generating energy via a series of carefully timed explosions using a highly flammable liquid

Generating energy from such a device would be bery very impressive indeed. Your wider comparison is however fallacious as the internal combustion engine, whilst have some negative impacts, also has positive ones that cannot easily be generated in any other way. The same is not true of smoking.

I’m enjoying a nice embassy no1 as I type ( 😳 ) but I don’t think making it illegal would make it go away it’s too ingrained in society but making it uncool and getting people to quit/not start is the way forward once the number of smokers is down too less than 1% of the UK population then boom drop the bomb shell and ban it. Until that day happens I’d personally like to see the government make it the most uncool anti social thing everto stop kids doing from the off poss make the age limit for starting from 18 too 25

Whatever happened to personal choice – the smoking nazis get on my moobs – it seems to be more socially acceptable to take illegal drugs (and campaign for them to be made legal) than it is to drink or smoke.
My choice to drink or smoke or ride with no helmet. I dont give a sh1t if you dont like it but it’s my choice.
Maybe I should campaign to make wood burners illegal, or 29rs, or lycra.

It’s about 4,000 years since it was first used and we’re still not looking back.

True, but it’s only comparatively recently that we’ve realised how damaging it is.

Whatever happened to personal choice

Yeah that’s all fine but whilst most smokers casually chuck their fag ends on the floor then why should it be accepted.

Oh and sucking on a mint tic-tac is not going to disguise that smell, especially in a lift. You lot stink a lot worse than you think

If people smoke it masks the smell of stale sweat ,very evident in pubs since the ban

ban it!

Whatever happened to personal choice

I’m not sure that there’s a great deal of choice in something so addictive. In fact, I would go as far to say that the tobacco industry is very interested in limiting the choice of their customers.

As for state financial gain, the overall cost of smoking outweighs the revenue it creates by about £3.5bn per year. Unfortunately, legal precedents exist that prevent the banning of tobacco use. There are also ethical implications on halting access to a substance of which ~20% of UK adults are addicted.

But surely legal precedents can be changed should the health of your country be in jeopardy?

Personally would ban it, still have to put up with smoking in the workplace 🙁 hate it, most laws don’t seem to apply round here, but that’s a different story.

It also makes me chuckle, that it’s considered acceptable to smoke and drive, most people say it helps them relaxed surely you want them to be alert, and if they are that dependent should they even be behind the wheel.

But surely legal precedents can be changed should the health of your country be in jeopardy?

The health of the country isn’t in jeopardy though, is it? The health of a small percentage of the population who choose to indulge through their own freewill/stupidity, while contributing huge amounts in tax, is. And that’s a completely different thing altogether.

If I want to kill myself, its got nob all to do with you, the government, or anyone else. Just as if you want to go and throw yourself off a bridge, its none of my business

Anyway…. if they banned smoking completely then what would all the tedious, whining, we-know-best health-nazi’s have to bleat on about then? Eh? What?

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDgFrVCkGxE[/video]

If I want to kill myself, its got nob all to do with you, the government, or anyone else. Just as if you want to go and throw yourself off a bridge, its none of my business

Very poor example, and poor taste also. I am struggling to think of a method or instance of suicide that would have no effect on anyone else.

Likewise with smoking. Yes, if you only sit in your room alone and smoke, and have no friends/family, it doesn’t affect anyone else. Who does that then?

well unless we’re both in prison, then I can’t smoke in a room containing you anyway

We’re not in prison, are we? Are we in prison? Do you want to be mummy or daddy? And can I have a fag afterwards? 😉

I am Bipolar and have attempted to leave this world a few times. So really bad taste Binners.
However do you really think that passive smoke is acceptable in to day’s society. If so there’s not much point discussing this any further with you.

I’m sorry to hear that. Passive smoking? Hmmmmmmmmmmm….. so… where is this passive smoking you’re so concerned about taking place then? Because, as a smoker, I’ve noticed that If I smoke indoors, then I’m now breaking the law. So… where are you being exposed to other peoples smoke then?

Passive driving as well now;

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jan/27/diesel-engine-fumes-worse-petrol