Should Tobacco be legalized?

2007excalibur2007 · **on:** April 23, 2010, 08:53:37 AM

Okay so, we have this assignment for English class at my school, and my class was assigned to build a conversational dialog on whether or not Tobacco should be legalized (one person agrees, the other must disagree, both giving their reasons why). If you guys could help me out by giving some of your opinions on said topic, I'd really appreciate it, and it'll definitely make my assigment a whole lot easier.

So, do you guys think Tobacco should be legalized?

Malte279 · **Reply #1 on:** April 23, 2010, 09:17:15 AM

Err... Is tobacco illegal where you live?
Over here there is a prohibition against selling tobacco to children (unfortunately those of them who really want to will get their hands on them anyway), but no general ban of tobacco products. Over here there have been some serious efforts in the last years to restrict smoking (e.g. by prohibiting it at most public places where others will be exposed to the smoke (along with the stench, the health risks, and the waste (most smokers just drop their cigarettes wherever they stand)).
Some say that it would be an intolerable infringement to personal freedom if smoking was prohibited and it is certainly true that prohibition alone is not sufficient (as demonstrated in the US in the 1920s). However, personally I have made the experience that most smokers tend to be very ruthless when it comes to exposing others to their smoke and its health risks (particularly bad when kids or even toddlers are exposed to it). Personally I find the resulting infringement of the individual's health a worse problem than legal measures against the selling of tobacco would be an infringement to personal freedom.
The costs for tobacco related health problems (to be paid by the whole society) significantly exceed the financial gains (which go to the tobacco industry only), so from an economic point of view it is also desirable to keep as many from smoking as possible.
If there are existing anti-tobacco laws which are already accepted by the society I think it would be a rather bad idea to get rid of those laws for the benefit of very few at the expense of nearly everyone.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #2 on:** April 23, 2010, 10:38:51 AM

The way I look at it, smoking does have it's amazing number of health problems that it does represent. All of the controversy that it causes will make one automatically think it should be banned. However, there has been discovered some benefits to the plant itself that may help it get a good name in it again.

Did you know that tobacco can be used as a pesticide for your garden? One cup of water plus one cup of tobacco stirred together and then sitting overnight will create a powerful poison that will kill most insects when you spray it onto your plants.

Cigarette smoke also has some medical benefits. It has actually helped cure Bowel Disease (Bloody Diarrhea) in some cases. It is also known to lighten a cold or flu, often getting rid of a sore throat.

The plant itself has also been known to help cure some diseases in animals, (Farmers in the early days actually made use of it for their cows when they got sick.) becoming a huge benefit for Veterinarians.

To be honest, tobacco can be used as a benefit to mankind. However, it has been used for so long as a deadly drug, that many can't see any good in it. Maybe one day it will be limited to only the good it can do.

Alex · **Reply #3 on:** April 23, 2010, 04:30:12 PM

Well it's legal in the US if you're over the age of 18. But if it's not legal where you live, I would say the laws shouldn't be changed.

Nick22 · **Reply #4 on:** April 23, 2010, 04:54:21 PM

Given its myraid connections to severe health problems, including cancer and decreased health over a long span.. tobacco, should not be legalized, period. Whatever meager health benefits the plants may provide do not make up for the extensive health problems it has been known to cause for decades. Did you know, that every year 771 Trillion Cigarettes are produced world wide? over 10 years that's 7.71 QUADRILLION, or more than a million cigarettes for EVERY PERSON on this planet. Simply put, because of the sheer number produced each year, it is impossible to get rid of cigarettes, even if they were banned from the market.

Belmont2500 · **Reply #5 on:** April 23, 2010, 05:13:59 PM

One word - No

Coyote_A · **Reply #6 on:** April 23, 2010, 05:21:28 PM

Did i miss something? When have it been prohibited? :blink:
In Russia smoking's officially not allowed for people less than 18 years old. However, i've seen 2nd grade school students with cigarettes just outside schoolyard gates.

Ptyra · **Reply #7 on:** April 23, 2010, 05:30:22 PM

If it's illegalized, it'll be the results of the Temperance Movement all over again. Not much else to it.

Malte279 · **Reply #8 on:** April 23, 2010, 05:48:09 PM

You are from Indonesia excalibur, aren't you?
I wasn't aware of this particular prohibition, but I think that some countries in the region are a bit stricter in these matters than many others are. Paradise Bird, what is the situation in Singapore? Is there are prohibition of tobacco?

2007excalibur2007 · **Reply #9 on:** April 23, 2010, 07:43:40 PM

Tobacco isn't illegal in my country. In fact, it's often used here in farming as pesticides. As for smoking cigarettes, nearly EVERY people in Indonesia smokes nowadays, despite the health warnings that have been told. There's no law in here saying that you have to be 18 or anything like that to be allowed to smoke, but there ARE restrictions for smoking in public places of course, but some people would still get away with it anyway. So much for putting up "No Smoking" signs on the walls... <_<