Just reading this article I came across: http://www.alternet.org/drugs/149599/will\_cigarettes\_be\_made\_illegal\_in\_the\_near\_future\_ Makes me wonder if this is really a direction society may be headed towards - prohibition of tobacco (not just cigarettes). On one hand tobacco is being demonized as it is, but would government really give up the tax money which tobacco contributes? What are your thoughts?
More alarmism from an already over-sensationalist media. (Sigh) Its really pathetic that people feel the need to write such tripe simply to grab the attention of the paranoid; or to inflame the already existing tensions. The simple answer is no, as in never. No doubt there are a few who might wish for such a thing, but far too few to make any difference. Even the author spends more time in the article reflecting on the impossibility and impracticallity of the scenario. Its all quite ludicrous, and tells me the article is irrelevant, they are simply trying to sell a headline to the above mentioned paranoid and delusional.
Reminds me of that one episode of Sliders with the TEA [Tobacco Enforcement Agents] in the world were tobacco was internationally banned. Still blows my mind how the Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914 was passed in blatant disregard for the US Constitution. It seems that it was done so in a move against certain minorities and women, who were the main users of the substances made illegal to import after that act took effect. If all drugs were sold OTC with a nice federal, state, and local tax added, lots of revenue could be had. Heaven forbid taxes be properly collected and used to better society. I lost count how many times I needed a prescription for the stupidest thing, like a skin cream or something. I would have loved to pay a massive tax and just quickly bought it OTC, even if I could get it tax free with a prescription. When you need something, you need it. Tobacco is probably safe for taxation purposes, for now, but if you look at history, it was banned, then celebrated, rinse, and repeat.
I think I speak for most of us here when I say : They can have my snuff when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers… 
I firmly believe tobacco will be banned in the next few years. Sweden’s head of police has already called for tobacco to be made illegal. It will happen with one country first, probably the US, and the rest of the countries will fall like dominoes. Then they’ll be coming after booze. This will all take some years, like the smoking bans, but that’s where our overlords want society heading. Towards a totally drug free workforce, lower sickness in employees and in turn make the fat cats even richer. I would also say tax won’t save tobacco. There is more money to be made making it illegal and criminalising it and then filling jails with illegal smokers. The ‘justice’ systems in every country in the world have been making vast sums of money for decades persecuting cannabis smokers. The same will happen with tobacco, mark my word. Call me paranoid if you like, but tobacco is on the same path cannabis was on 80 years ago.
No, that’s not paranoid, that’s delusional. No one makes any money on cannabis prohibition. It fact it represents an enormous financial burden to society. Further, cannabis never had such an omnipresent and mutli billion dollar infrastructure sustaining it. When it was made illegal in this country, most people had never even heard of it. Its thought of as more harmless now than at any time in the past. Its future legalization is now inevitable. Its only a question of “when”, not “if”. If you read the article (the alarmist headline aside) the author illustrates just how impractical such a prohibition on toboacco would be. Filling jails with illegal smokers? This makes money? How? That’s delusional. That costs money. A lot of money. No, tax won’t save tobacco. Profit will. Tobacco reaps enormous profits. Those who make such profits will not go away, they have too much power. There is an enormous amount of money to be made in finding safer alternatives or way to counter negative health efects of tobacco. This, I am sure, is the future. Witness the dawn of the electronic cigarette. Technology in this area will only get better in time. Historically, zealots and puritans have only ever held a limited impact on the overall advancement of society. Don’t overestimate their influence. The overlords as you call them know something that you do not give them credit for. It got a phrase assigned to it in Roman times. People (in great numbers) will overlook a lot of injustice so long as they have their bread and circuses.
Xander, you make good points but I agree with oscar about the illegality making more Profit. The reason the marijuana market is as profitable as it is is because weeds illegal. If it were legal, the cost would decrease. Same as any substance. (unless they tax the crap out of it) Many prisons now are actually privately owned, and they trade stocks based on the number of prisoners, so in reality - yes - they make money for keeping cells full. I’d hate to see tobacco become illegal, i would hope we go the way of liberty and legalize all. The states need to get backbones and stand up to the fed. As i live in new york state, we would probably be the LAST place to legalize anything though…
I hope you’re right, @Xander. I’d like to be delusional, time will tell. I disagree with many of the points you make above, but let’s agree to disagree rather than thrash each issue to death.
Just because something is illegel, it doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get it. Just because something is illegel, it doesn’t mean you won’t be able to do it…just don’t get caught.
just because something is illegal doesn’t mean it’s enforced either. not to worried about nic bans. I could write an article about what ifs and all that if possible.
And well anything is possible. I might sprout wings. I should write an article about that.
Governments are complex multi-stranded, multi-agendised entities that react to any number of pressures to a certain extent. The situation with illegal drugs is driven by a whole bunch of factors like fear of loosing votes, whereas tobacco has been part of our lawful activity for hundreds of years now and brings in immense amounts of revenue. There will always be the ‘public health’ issue which polticians will pay lip service to but they are not going to kill that particular golden egg laying goose, they will just modify to suit whatever pressure group has the loudest voice. We will always be able to buy tobacco we might just get restricted, eventually, to home or private use only - that’s pretty close anyhow. Also, the experience of prohibition of alcohol shows that there are some things that are just not practically enforceable.
I will be interested to see what the findings are from the review of the EU tobacco products directive, that should report some time in the spring. I think we need to get used to it being increasingly difficult to buy tobacco. I am most concerned that cross border sales in the EU will be banned in the upcoming review.
@Xander I am not saying I agree with the article, it just led me to ponder the idea.
I’m so tired of this subject and typing responses on it, but I’ll make it short and sweet. I live in the U.S. my friend’s mom works at our courthouse and is WAY into politics. She agrees with me. What we agree on is basically this… Tobacco will NEVER be completely banned. Just HELLA controlled and regulated. Marijuana legalization no matter HOW ILLEGAL IT WAS is now INEVITABLE. It WILL happen. MMJ has grown to an enormous level and it can’t be stopped now. It’s moving west to east and its only a matter of time. To think tobacco could be banned is almost laughable. Never gonna happen. Mark my words. There’s no argument here and my mind could never be changed. Tobacco is too engrained in our tradition to get rid of it. it might be regulated and dumbed down; we might have TWO flavors to choose from, but it’ll always be here. That’s just how it goes though. When you have a bunch of addicts the subject and FEAR of losing their substance will always be brought up. Don’t worry, nobody’s gonna take your precious snuff away We might not be able to get WoS soon but there’s always Bruton’s! lol
bhutan already made it illegal to sell tobacco . you can import 200 cigarettes a week . here is the article http://theweek.com/article/index/211060/the-worlds-first-smoke-free-country good news thou . the french gave satre his cigar back and a comedian called tati his trademark pipe which was banned before i thought it was funny the curators of his recent exhibit replaced the pipe with a small yellow windmill ha here is the old video http://www.france24.com/en/20090417-pipe-free-tati-poster-sparks-controversy-smoking-paris-metro
In the long run, making any substance contraband is counterproductive, and contributes greatly to organized crime as a very profitable endeavor. Nevertheless, foolish health and/or morality crusaders keep trying it. We silly humans build up our civilizations only to destroy them with such nonsense. Maybe one day we will learn to be rational, but recorded history doesn’t make that seem very likely.
Tobacco will never be banned and criminalized like a narcotic in the U.S. Other countries I can’t say but the U.S. it won’t happen. I’m sure like others said it will be harshly regulated but never taken totally away.
This has been tried before and tobacco always won. History is on our side!
I really doubt it will be. Especially in Sweden. Despite what their head of police says, Sweden loves its tobacco, which is why you saw them make an exemption for snus use in Sweden a condition of them joining the EU. I do wish more countries were like http://themoscownews.com/society/20100906/188028616.html?referfrommnRussia with their views, though. At least on tobacco. Also, prisons make private individuals rich, not governments, which is an important difference to consider. And I wouldn’t rate the prison lobby as nearly as powerful as the tobacco lobby in the US. Edit: Apparently BBcode no longer works for formatting links.