Are We Banning Too Much of Our Own Creation?

[bradc]

Here is another laugh for Canada; our government have decided to ban cigarettes from being display on convenient store counters to 1) protect health and 2) prevent teenagers from buying them. Hong Kong has done the same thing, but it still doesn't stop people from smoking, even off from property.


Source: Cigarettes Display Ban Hidden Ban in Convenient Stores (http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/04/21/display-ban.html#socialcomments)


What are your thoughts on this?

[Jack Van Burace]

Well, smoking is a chemical addiction. It can't be cured, just like any other chemical addiction. You can trick it, and treat it, but never cure a chemical addiction. I've studied pharmacology in college, and that's part of what they teach. If you wanna help smokers, the best way imo is to prevent them from start smoking. So, perhaps there is some sense in the OP's strategy. But I don't think it'll ever help addicted smokers, because it would require a deeper take on the issue.

Just so nobody misunderstands me, you can help people stop smoking, what I'm saying is that addicts on anything will always recover their habits just like on their worst phase if they ever use this thing again. This is actually true for chemical addictions: they are treatable, however they are incurable.

[Rain]

that wont work

as jack said, since smoking is an addiction it won't be an "out of sight, out of mind" kind of thing

and actually, removing them is just like telling younger people that you can't smoke, so they'll probably be more likely to do it, just to sick it to the man:p



if one wants people to stop smoking there are three steps to take

1) make the cigareetes taste absolutely horrid
2) only advertise with people who look terrible after decades of smoking
3) septuple the price:fu

*oversimplified the issue:cool:*

[bradc]

that wont work

as jack said, since smoking is an addiction it won't be an "out of sight, out of mind" kind of thing

and actually, removing them is just like telling younger people that you can't smoke, so they'll probably be more likely to do it, just to sick it to the man:p



if one wants people to stop smoking there are three steps to take

1) make the cigareetes taste absolutely horrid
2) only advertise with people who look terrible after decades of smoking
3) septuple the price:fu

*oversimplified the issue:cool:*

A lot of things won't work...

But usually by choice... I have an older brother and uncle who used to smoke a lot; they choosed to stop smoking themselves. But banning and hiding things will surely solve the health care problem.


More on the banning...

Even from 9/11 when I was travelling back to Asia... They banned NAIL CLIPPERS and bunch of things that just created more mass paranoia and more stupidity created by the conservative government -_-;;;;;;

I am going to clip you to death now; after I am done with my nails.

[Jack Van Burace]

I suppose the only real deal is always the cultural pressure of everyone, rather than something that comes from law or something like that. It has to come from the people themselves. Law only works when the people agree with it, and same works for health programs and stuff.

[bradc]

I suppose the only real deal is always the cultural pressure of everyone, rather than something that comes from law or something like that. It has to come from the people themselves. Law only works when the people agree with it, and same works for health programs and stuff.

Problem is the minority government keeps enforcing laws that pretty much exist on its own without ridiculous policies that usually winds up backfiring among the public, just angering them more. Of course, younger teens can STLL get cigarettes off their seniors students, if they can't get them the convenient stores that also sells chocolate and pops; and hockey cards. Also eveyrone is entitled to their own opinion of how the person was raised in their own household and family; and what they think is healthy, even though I don't agree with smoking and drinking too much alcohol.

I agree with your early post; it's hard to stop addition unless its treated by either tricking it or therapy of sorts; the right way. :hug

[Jack Van Burace]

Ty! o/ But I suppose the best way would still be the cultural change, because if people don't start it then we won't have to treat it! ;) I mean, how many people don't know yet that cocaine is highly deadly and addictive, and that it ruins your life completely? We don't have to insist on this matter as much as cigar, I guess. The matter is that people don't matter about what they can't see.

Worst part of it is that every time a car passes over the street asphalt, which has tar on its composition, it releases a bunch of toxic components in the air as well, also common in the cigar. Of course cigar increases these effects much more, but it's a fact that we're still too ignorant on daily stuff that harms us in the same way as a cigar. We're still too far off of ideal living conditions.

In antiquity, people had very poor sanitary conditions, until the population grew so much that the Black Plague swept Europe and people learned the need of taking a bath regularly, and building a decent sewer system. Unfortunately, people never learn until too late. Health, as well as the environment, are feminine entities: they aren't good on sticking up for themselves, but they sure are bitches when taking revenge later. ;)

[mechaqua]

jack Canada is pretty clean i don't think the plague is going to ravage the provinces just because there is a high density of smokers ;)

if kids decide to smoke that's there choice its their lungs, just don't do it while i am around don't want to get cancer actually that's a little hypocritical of me once in awhile i will have a cigar or smoke hookah but i do it in my home not in public when i was in the states i noticed in New York they have banned smoking in public places or at least like smoking inside bars and restaurants. but as for the display case with the cigarettes well i doubt it will work teens will still smoke no mater what. I suppose if you place a few more Smoking causes cancer adds in the shop instead of that really small warning that you can barely see that might deter a few kids i just hope they don't start banning the display of Alcohol because of teenage drinking when you have the drinking age at 19 teen drinking happens in the states its 21 and there is a huge volume of teen drinking i am not sure about how many teens who drink in Canada under 18 but it seems higher in the US

[bradc]

jack Canada is pretty clean i don't think the plague is going to ravage the provinces just because there is a high density of smokers ;)

if kids decide to smoke that's there choice its their lungs, just don't do it while i am around don't want to get cancer actually that's a little hypocritical of me once in awhile i will have a cigar or smoke hookah but i do it in my home not in public when i was in the states i noticed in New York they have banned smoking in public places or at least like smoking inside bars and restaurants. but as for the display case with the cigarettes well i doubt it will work teens will still smoke no mater what. I suppose if you place a few more Smoking causes cancer adds in the shop instead of that really small warning that you can barely see that might deter a few kids i just hope they don't start banning the display of Alcohol because of teenage drinking when you have the drinking age at 19 teen drinking happens in the states its 21 and there is a huge volume of teen drinking i am not sure about how many teens who drink in Canada under 18 but it seems higher in the US


Tel that to Stephen Harper and Dalton Macquinty trying to hide carton of cigarettes from the naked eye of teeangers going to solve every health problem in existence, and no actual money pouring into the health care system. They even try banning alcohol and people still drink and party while drinking anyway...

[tari101190]

Here is another laugh for Canada; our government have decided to ban cigarettes from being display on convenient store counters to 1) protect health and 2) prevent teenagers from buying them. Hong Kong has done the same thing, but it still doesn't stop people from smoking, even off from property.good idea, but it should be banned altogether.

it's banned in ALL public places in the uk now (yay!), but it's still allowed on the streets (the most public place of all), so that's bad i guess.

i don't see why it's legal anywhere around the world. i understand that if they stop it suddenly ppl will suffer from withdrawal symptoms which could cause problems, but after a while with multiple laws theyy can phase it out, and eventually ban it, but not right now.

smokin is so stupid. it kills you and every1 around you. it's the worst thing ever, and i HATE that it's still legal. but like i metioned above, they can't just stop it or we'll suffer consequences. though they could still try it...

there was talks about making a smoking licence that you have to pay for. so if you wanna smoke you have to pay to get the licenece etc. that wil put (young) ppl off, which will phase smokin out quicker.

*remember kids, smokin killz EVERYONE around you, not just you.*

and when i walk down the street and i see parents smokin while pushing their babies in prams, i just feel like killin the parents. i just stare at them and look really angry. it makes me so mad. it's sick! that is murder no mater how you look at it. their tiny lungs can't handle that surely!!! it's evil, why would you do it?!

highly unlikely scenario:
"i would LOVE if non-smokers started sueing random smokers for givin them lung cancer. that wold be great. they would definately have the right to. practically atemptive murder in a way. if enough ppl did that, they'd probably ban smokin quick."

anyway, i hate smokin etc, sorry if i got a little worked up...

[Jack Van Burace]

@ mechaqua: of course it is their choice, but I know half a dozen people who did things out of pressure from others and regret it deeply nowadays. You can say it's their choice, but rather than making it banned or trying to make them stop afterwards, why not teach them what's really behind it prior to them smoking. Teenager beliefs are always retarded and easy to crack anyways, everyone that gone through that time remembers it and knows so.

They wanna be like the older guys and attract young girls (or the opposite), and fit in with the ones that know better. It is a teen culture that goes on because everyone hates teenagers and considers them a plague because they stop believing and doing everything you tell them to, to start thinking on their own. It is much easier to deal with children of course, and hating them for breaking free only shows how parents can be even more childish than teens themselves. But the fact is that this habit starts at some point, which is when older guys/girls still believe they're doing fine by trying to get youngers to screw themselves like they did before.

It all lies in strategy and education. Once people decide to make these guys feel ridiculous, and not by someone that is heavily hated by everyone such as a school principal or some old geezer with stupid moralist views from 300 years ago, and in front of the youngers that would otherwise be impressed by them and follow their steps, things will be ok. The biggest problem is that educators are almost always stupid, and try to get themselves the most apart from students possible. It will never work.

[bradc]

Well from all the banning frenzie; people now a days are turning towards the healthier side of life without being told what to do from the government. When they tell you coffee is bad for you, people should stop drinking coffee? When they tell you wine is good for you and helps blood circulation, but only if drink in moderation; does this mean we should ban alcohol too?

Does this make the government right to be our parents on what we can have and what we can't have in our dietary system and what toys that adults and children alike are allow to play with? Come on, no nail clippers allow on airplanes... No cellphone allow on airplanes. It has been proven wrong many times the cellphone doesn't cause the airplane to automatically combust and implode...

[CeriaHalcyon]

good idea, but it should be banned altogether.

it's banned in ALL public places in the uk now (yay!), but it's still allowed on the streets (the most public place of all), so that's bad i guess.

i don't see why it's legal anywhere around the world. i understand that if they stop it suddenly ppl will suffer from withdrawal symptoms which could cause problems, but after a while with multiple laws theyy can phase it out, and eventually ban it, but not right now.

smokin is so stupid. it kills you and every1 around you. it's the worst thing ever, and i HATE that it's still legal. but like i metioned above, they can't just stop it or we'll suffer consequences. though they could still try it...

there was talks about making a smoking licence that you have to pay for. so if you wanna smoke you have to pay to get the licenece etc. that wil put (young) ppl off, which will phase smokin out quicker.

*remember kids, smokin killz EVERYONE around you, not just you.*

and when i walk down the street and i see parents smokin while pushing their babies in prams, i just feel like killin the parents. i just stare at them and look really angry. it makes me so mad. it's sick! that is murder no mater how you look at it. their tiny lungs can't handle that surely!!! it's evil, why would you do it?!

highly unlikely scenario:
"i would LOVE if non-smokers started sueing random smokers for givin them lung cancer. that wold be great. they would definately have the right to. practically atemptive murder in a way. if enough ppl did that, they'd probably ban smokin quick."

anyway, i hate smokin etc, sorry if i got a little worked up...

Yeah it took Florida forever, but we've had the ban on smoking in restaurants and public places for about two years now and it's pretty damn nice.

It's a wonder that such a smart law could come out of the state that allows people to ride bicycles in the streets instead of the safety of the side walk and allows motorcyclists to ride without helmets... (a little off topic i know) but surprising none the less.

[Rain]

i don't see why it's legal anywhere around the world. i understand that if they stop it suddenly ppl will suffer from withdrawal symptoms which could cause problems, but after a while with multiple laws theyy can phase it out, and eventually ban it, but not right now.

Its legal for a few reasons.

The biggest however is probably for safety. Cigareetes do kill you, this is very true and has been proven countless times, but as long as its legal, then the industry will be regulated to some extent

The second it becomes illegal, it won't stop people, and cigareets will become much more dangerous

I agree that people shouldn't smoke, but i'd rather it be because they are smart enough to choose not to, not because big brother says you aren't allowed

[ShuiMei]

Just thought I should mention that this ban on cigarette displays is a Provincial initiative in Ontario and was an act of the majority Ontario Liberal government under Premier McGuinty and not an act of federal parliament. I'm no fan of Harper, but it doesn't have anything to do with his minority government. Moreover, some provinces have already had such bans in place before and/or plan to in the future, so it's hardly something new in Canada.

The way I see it, this obviously isn't going to make smokers stop smoking, but it's a decent initiative. For some people who are trying to quit, just seeing cigarettes up on these displays can make the temptation stronger. "Out of sight out of mind" isn't something that's going to work for and/or on everyone, but it can help. Surely the government isn't relying solely on laws like this to help curb smoking, rather it's part of a larger plan. Ontario and many other provinces already prohibit smoking in enclosed public spaces and at workplaces. Smoking has been on the decline in Canada and I think these government initiatives against smoking have certainly helped raise public consciousness (as well as make smokers feel like social pariahs...)

As for the government's role in all of this, personally I don't mind government involvement, especially in issues such as public health. I can see the more libertarian argument for citizens having the right/freedom to "do whatever they want to" but I think the government has the duty to look out for the well-being of its citizens. Sometimes people don't make the most-informed choices and do things that harm them and/or other people around them. Some may not like the idea of "government knows best" and we should certainly always question and examine government policies but I don't think government regulation and involvement is inherently a bad thing. Undoubtedly the government will also do things that we don't want or like, but we ultimately elect them to represent us and for them to look after us and our interests. So if trans-fats, lead-paints and greenhouse gasses are harmful, I would like to hope that our governments are doing their jobs and are trying to protect the general public from these things that people often cannot control themselves.

[Hiraeth]

No cellphone allow on airplanes. It has been proven wrong many times the cellphone doesn't cause the airplane to automatically combust and implode...

Actually that has something to do with which satellites the signal is bounced up to, not to do with things exploding...

As far as smoking goes, I want to know if its fair that I have to see something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_BF8l-tT0g

when I turn on my television when I'm not a smoker and never likely to be. Luckily around most of Australia smoking in pubs and clubs has been banned for the health of other customers and people that work in those places.

I'm personally of the opinion that cigarettes should be made illegal, there are no benefits to them whatsoever, they're basically just a slow poison that kills you and everyone around you.

[Riekie]

@ Hiraeth: Same with Alcohol then. it kills your brain cells and your liver. it's addictive aswell, same with cigarettes.

I don't really care of people smoke, drink or use drugs. it's their own choice if they want to..but, with smoking you 'can' infect others aswell. I am pretty sure myself that my lungs are all f-cked up now because of my mom's smoking when she was pregnant with my brother and I and smoked in the house for 18 years. luckily now she's no longer allowed to smoke inside and quit some 20+ weeks ago because of her health.

Not that i care though..

Still..if something is to be banned, then the rest should be banned aswell. simple as that. Just think about binge drinking.

[Rain]

bradc and hiraeth- since you are talking about it

The fear of cellphones of palnes is because of the signals interferring. Extensive testing has been done, and although it seems that there is no reason to fear cell phones on planes, there are so many different radio frequencies on so many newer cell phones, not to mention the number of planes, that it just isn't worth it, they just tell you to not have them



I dont want smoking to be banned, i just want smokers to not be able to smoke near me *is selfish xD*

[Hiraeth]

Riekie you raise a good point, however you unintentionally counter it with an equally valid point. Drinking may indeed be as harmful to an individual as smoking is, it may be offensive to people to be forced to put up with a drunk person wandering around near them, however when you drink you aren't forcing the people around you to drink. Smoking doesn't only affect you, it affects the people around you, which is the part I have the problem with. I personally don't want to living in a society where working in a pub means that one day you might be diagnosed with lung cancer.

Also, in moderation drinking isn't neccessarily as harmful as smoking, however I'm not an expert so I'm not going to attempt to get into the statistics of it.

[bradc]

bradc and hiraeth- since you are talking about it

The fear of cellphones of palnes is because of the signals interferring. Extensive testing has been done, and although it seems that there is no reason to fear cell phones on planes, there are so many different radio frequencies on so many newer cell phones, not to mention the number of planes, that it just isn't worth it, they just tell you to not have them



I dont want smoking to be banned, i just want smokers to not be able to smoke near me *is selfish xD*

Usually in airplane crisis... People still manage to use their cellphones; people still use them, even when told not to. How else do people still use the internet on their laptops while flying several thousand feet above ground without hindering any signals. The airport have their own radio frequencies... A better example, cellphones are like insects that pick up their own satellite frequencies. Cellular companies these days are turning to wireless access because is cheaper...

However, for safety PRE-CAUTION, they advise not to until the plane takes off.


My last trip back in Asia and cousin wedding in Vancouver before; I remember drinking a lot of beer. Beer alcohol content is much lower than drinking wine and wine can get pretty expensive, even though affordable drinking-cooking wine are available as well these days... Wine is also use for dining and culinary, I doubt it will be banned since large amount of fancy restaurant use them, and those who cook at home using wine. Don't want to be angering those chefs with sharpy utensils.

[bradc]

I went to one the convenient store today, where they start hiding those carton of cigarettes. Now it gives me weird nostalgia of those Chinese Herbal Stores where they keep all those dried plants and herbs behind the cupboards-draw storages.

Ancient times people used to smoke with pipes too, with plant and herbs...

I don't think this helps...

[Gol D. Roger]

I'm a smoker myself, right now only about 5 cigarettes a day, but at one point, I was going through an entire pack.

For me, smoking started socially. The summer before I went to college, my friends and I started to split packs of cigarettes. That started my exposure, not seeing packs on display in convenience stores.

Then I went to school, at NYU. Anyone who's been to Manhattan knows that there are smokers everywhere. And, to make matters worse, my freshman dorm had a huge stoop where kids would hang around and smoke cigarettes and socialize. So after being a casual smoker during the summer, I ended up taking it up full time. Again, unrelated to seeing packs in stores.

So, you're expecting me to say that I think they should allow cigarettes to be displayed, right? Wrong.

There are more than enough ways for young people to be exposed to cigarettes through social situations, as I was, and through other means. Personally, I enjoy smoking, but I'd rather I was never exposed to it, and therefore never would have known whether I liked it or not.

When you go into a store and see the rows of different colored, pretty packs of cigarettes, drawing your eye, you can't help but have your interest piqued, whether consciously or unconsciously. Colors, cool designs, so much variety, well hell, the human brain can't help but be attracted to it. That's the way it works.

So I definitely think that they should keep the packs out of view. Those who are already smokers will know what to ask for, their brand and type of preference (I'm a Camel Lights guy, myself), but those who don't won't even know they're there. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say.

Smoking is just a mind fuck, at least, for someone who's conscientious like myself. On the one hand, it's a habit I genuinely enjoy, and have trouble giving up, even after cutting down so much. On the other, I'm aware of all the hazards: my lungs, my teeth, the smell on my clothing, premature wrinkling/aging, cardiac issues, and so much more.

I've only been a smoker for six years, and so I can tell myself that right now, I'm okay, and that I'll quit eventually (which I certainly will), but it's an amount of worry that would just be gone if I'd never smoked at all. And it's also something that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.

My dad smoked for ten years or so, at times going through two packs a day. Now, he hasn't picked up a cigarette in thirty years, but he says when he smells it, he still misses it. And that's something both he, and I, will carry with us pretty much forever. Taking up smoking simply isn't worth it, and any preventative measures are good measures, in my book.

[bradc]

People are curious creatures... When people tell them not to do something, they still usually do them anyway. A lot of reasons or simply call them excuses.

Though you think hiding cigarettes behind a smoke screen counter top will prevent people from smoking, when they can get them cheaper from smugglers? Which also brings up another issues with banning cigarettes and hiding them? Convenient Store has been reduce to being Inconvenient Store; sadly, they don't make a lot of money and people usually get their news paper, lottery ticket, candies and well cigarettes. The store owner will have to bring them all out because there's so many brand names to choose from just that catalog to memorize them all where they place the carton of cigarettes than showing them in the open. But Kids who is not legal 18-21 years cannot purchase it, even without their ID Card.

Another issue would be it would someone's health problem, not the governments, since people's body react differently to different and various chemicals from medicine, vitamins and the food digested to even food allergy. For example; if a person gives up smoking cigarettes with withdraw symptoms and dies from cancer, than miraculously the person remains alive if that person keeps smoking.

You could say the person was lucky, or it some kind of miracle...

[Gol D. Roger]

Convenient Store has been reduce to being Inconvenient Store; sadly, they don't make a lot of money and people usually get their news paper, lottery ticket, candies and well cigarettes. The store owner will have to bring them all out because there's so many brand names to choose from just that catalog to memorize them all where they place the carton of cigarettes than showing them in the open.

I'm guessing you're not a smoker yourself. Every smoker I know, myself included, walks into a store knowing exactly what brand, and what type of cigarette within that brand, they want.

Unless you're going to a specialty tobacco shop and browsing for some kind of luxury cigarette such as Dunhills, or a clove cigarette, which has a number of flavors, no store clerk will ever need to take out a catalog. And if you are in a specialty tobacco shop, well hell, that's a standard part of their job.

Ultimately, I feel these measures are to prevent new smokers. Hiding the packs won't affect my smoking experience at all, but it will affect the potential smoking experience of the 18 year old kid who sees all the attractive packs and thinks, Hey, maybe I want to try that.

As for buying cigarettes from smugglers and all that, I thought we were debating the display ban, not a ban on cigarettes as a whole. And I don't think that will happen any time soon.

For example, the hemp industry is almost nonexistent, on a pretense that it is intrinsically related to pot smoking and the legalization of marijuana. Frankly speaking, hemp can be developed into a number of products entirely unrelated to pot, products which are already being produced through other means.

However, to make such products with hemp would be far cheaper, and could potentially decrease earnings from manufacturers who utilize more expensive materials, or put them out of business entirely. For that reason, widespread material production of hemp is not in use, and is in fact, essentially illegal when processed in certain ways.

For the very same reasons that the use of hemp in products will not become commonplace or legal, tobacco production will not become illegal. The industry is simply too big, and both due to the impact such a ban would have on the economy, national and global, as well as the impact that tobacco lobbyists have on politicians, a tobacco ban simply will not happen within the foreseeable future. In fact, my guess is they'll have a cure for lung cancer before tobacco becomes illegal.

EDIT: And just so you know, I consider myself a, "kind smoker." I mean, here in New York, there's a wide ban on indoor smoking, so obviously I don't smoke indoors. However, I do try my very best to avoid non-smokers when I'm outside.

If I see parents and children, I cross the street, or hold my cigarette to the side and don't smoke until I've passed them. I don't like to expose other people to my bad habit.

However, when I'm in my backyard, alone, with no one in sight, and no one to inhale the smoke, I should have every right to do what I please.

Have you ever seen, "Super Size Me"? A steady diet of fast food will kill you just as fast as smoking, and in some cases, faster. Should they make that illegal too? No, because people have the right to make their own decisions about their health and well-being within the limits of the law, and eating fast food affects no one but themselves.

While there are certainly tangential negative effects of smoking, as opposed to the lack thereof with fast food, a ban on indoor smoking goes a long way to reducing secondhand smoke inhalation by the general populace.

In terms of mortality, alcohol poisoning, long-term alcohol abuse leading to liver damage and other problems, drunk driving, and risky behavior as a result of alcohol consumption probably cause every bit as much damage to innocent bystanders and users alike as smoking does. And whether it does or not, alcohol certainly causes more damage in the short term.

My younger brother ended up in the hospital from reckless drinking. A close friend of mine almost ended up paralyzed from the waist down due to a combination of excessive alcohol consumption and his legal prescription drugs. After a year of daily physical therapy, he's just now regaining full use of his legs.

So do we outlaw alcohol, and painkillers, and all sorts of other substances, simply because people sometimes act recklessly? Well, suddenly it starts to look like fascism now doesn't it? Whether it's a dictator or the government, no governing body has the right to determine what's best for its people in all areas of their lives in a democratic nation, or any nation, for that matter.

You may not like to admit it, but today, unless you're in an area where indoor smoking is permitted, and you frequent such places where you're surrounded by it, or you live a household full of smokers, you're far more likely to die while commuting to work than you are from secondhand smoke. So do we ban cars now too? Oh yeah, and there's that nasty global warming stuff going on, cars make that worse as well.

Industry aside, what happens is people make efforts, legislation, etc., to resolve the issue while still allowing people their freedoms, hence the burgeoning alternative fuels industry, and the emerging lineup of hybrid vehicles. And so, the same goes for smoking, with the indoor bans, and potentially these bans on cigarette displays. And so it also goes for alcohol, with raised drinking age and harsh drunk driving penalties, and for fast food, with requirements for nutritional content breakdowns to be made available for consumers.

On any given day, there are potentially a hundred, a thousand, a million different things that can kill you. Spending your time singling out something like secondhand smoke, which you can usually avoid in highly developed, democratic countries such as the United States and Canada, I believe plays more into people's fears, and a sense of righteous indignation which is almost addictive. I know standing on that soapbox feels good, but you have to get off eventually, or take it to Washington.

And that's pretty much all I've got to say on the matter.

[bradc]

I'm guessing you're not a smoker yourself. Every smoker I know, myself included, walks into a store knowing exactly what brand, and what type of cigarette within that brand, they want.

Unless you're going to a specialty tobacco shop and browsing for some kind of luxury cigarette such as Dunhills, or a clove cigarette, which has a number of flavors, no store clerk will ever need to take out a catalog. And if you are in a specialty tobacco shop, well hell, that's a standard part of their job.

Ultimately, I feel these measures are to prevent new smokers. Hiding the packs won't affect my smoking experience at all, but it will affect the potential smoking experience of the 18 year old kid who sees all the attractive packs and thinks, Hey, maybe I want to try that.

As for buying cigarettes from smugglers and all that, I thought we were debating the display ban, not a ban on cigarettes as a whole. And I don't think that will happen any time soon.

For example, the hemp industry is almost nonexistent, on a pretense that it is intrinsically related to pot smoking and the legalization of marijuana. Frankly speaking, hemp can be developed into a number of products entirely unrelated to pot, products which are already being produced through other means.

However, to make such products with hemp would be far cheaper, and could potentially decrease earnings from manufacturers who utilize more expensive materials, or put them out of business entirely. For that reason, widespread material production of hemp is not in use, and is in fact, essentially illegal when processed in certain ways.

For the very same reasons that the use of hemp in products will not become commonplace or legal, tobacco production will not become illegal. The industry is simply too big, and both due to the impact such a ban would have on the economy, national and global, as well as the impact that tobacco lobbyists have on politicians, a tobacco ban simply will not happen within the foreseeable future. In fact, my guess is they'll have a cure for lung cancer before tobacco becomes illegal.

A lot of things ties in together from one topic to another; it's pretty hard to separate an egg yolk from egg whites, but both are still needed when making a fluffy moist cake. If that's a crazy analogy to work with...

No need to smoke... I pretty much had a lot of second hand smoke from my older brother, male parental and my uncle who smoke. My brother and uncle both stopped entirely on their own by choice, but I don't think my uncle is getting any healthier since the effect of working a night-time job pretty much screws up sleeping and eating patterns.

I forgot I live Canada and we did legalize marijuana... I still really don't think display of banning cigarettes has helped either... I am still utterly confused in what message the government is sending to its own people...

I agree... But the problems are still there since the government still relies on the tobacco industry to make a profit. But they are also losing money to the cheap side of the industry if tobacco becomes illegal and result of ban; even with display banning pretty much becomes useless.

Though there has been a time where they place pictures of lung cancer on the box to prevent people from smoking, I have no clue what happened to that now... If they did find a cure of lung cancer in the unforeseeable future, a lot of smokers been cure already. :hug