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Re^2: Do you smoke tobacco?

by tekniko (Deacon)
on Sep 17, 2004 at 12:44 UTC ( [id://391761]=note: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??


in reply to Re: Do you smoke tobacco?
in thread Do you smoke tobacco?

Um, I don't smoke, but I respect your right to do so. You just won't do it in my house and you had better not throw your butts in my yard.

We are losing (at least in the USA) entirely too many civil liberties to people who think it is their business to tell the rest of us how to live.

You don't want your kids to smoke? Fine, teach them that smoking is bad for you. That's our job as parents. Government has no place in the matter.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^3: Do you smoke tobacco?
by jbware (Chaplain) on Sep 17, 2004 at 13:19 UTC
    Hear Hear! ++ while (1);

    Too often an individual's choice, consequences, and personal responsibility are ignored as the government babysitter gets bigger and bigger. Stomp on the citizen to "save the country" some would say...

    - jbWare
      I believe it is a persons right to smoke. I also believe it is my right not to have my tax moneys support their illnesses. I belive it is the ordinary citizens right to seek compensation from smokers, that smokers should be liable for the illnesses and physical damage they cause (respiratory issues, etc.) There are other causes of respiratory illness/irritations that need the same treatment, but tobacco, fossil fuel engines and similar products are rather troublesome.

      Personal rights and freedoms as always have the restriction of stopping when they cause harm to other people.

      -digi

Re^3: Do you smoke tobacco?
by macPerl (Beadle) on Sep 28, 2004 at 09:44 UTC
    Civil Liberties
    So you think it is a "civil liberty" to smoke ?

    If you were to consider deeply the historical reasons for smoking, the environment factors that cause people to smoke, the weight and effect of marketing in driving sales, I think you mightn't be so fast to throw smoking into the over-used (abused) civil liberties argument.

    I agree with and subscribe to the defense of Civil Liberties. However, it does this cause no good to water down the concept with arguments such as yours.

    An extension of the argument you put forward is to legalise all narcotics. I wish I could be sure that you would baulk at such an idea.

    Parenting
    Kids, in spite of us, thank God, are not programmable. While we all strive to help them avoid horrible pitfalls, your statement Fine, teach them that smoking is bad for you. is glib to the point of banality. Two brief points to note:

  • Studies have shown that, after the age of 11, peer pressure has a stronger influence in children than parental guidance.
  • The average TV watching child is exposed to 10,000 adverts a year.


  • Government
    I think everyone has to concede that the cigarette industry is one in which a few people (Cigarette companies) do well out of and millions (smokers - active & passive) suffer from.

    Cigarette companies spend millions every year to promote their products.

    It is the duty of government to ensure that the individuals rights are protected against such producers.

    Believe it or not, there are times government passes legislation that is not part of some major Orwellian Plot to turn us all into proles.
      An extension of the argument you put forward is to legalise all narcotics. I wish I could be sure that you would baulk at such an idea.
      Well, I do. All substances should be legally available. Who is the government to tell me what I am allowed to shoot/smoke/sniff? I'm mature and the only one who is responsible for me.

      Besides that, the criminilization of drugs leads to all the known consequences, like overcrowded jails, courts & police not able to follow important cases because of overload, etc.

      I know I am pretty alone with this opinion. In discussions with friends/family I always earn irritated glances when I say "Solving the drug problem? Legalise everything.".



      holli, /regexed monk/

        lol

        ooops

        Just reponded to an earlier post without spotting this was here too!

        If I had seen this first, I wouldn't have responded to either

        Now I've waste both our time but responding to both! Sorry!

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