What if cigarettes became illegal?

[Thewests]

So i was thinking I a couple days ago, what would happen if cigarettes became illegal? Seeing as how smoking is now and how big alcohol was when prohibition happened in the 20's. I think the events that followed the aftermath of alcohol becoming illegal here in the states will probably happen with cigarettes and other legal smoking products. Such as illegal production, higher crime, overall bad economy and other things.

But what do you think would happen?

just as a note i'm not either for or against smoking of any kind.

[JoeAbbt-Grimes]

They wouldnt cost as much

[duper1012]

the U.S. would lose like $1 B every year.

[VJoe10]

At 6/22/09 04:12 AM, JoeAbbt-Grimes wrote: They wouldnt cost as much

Possibly!

[explodingbunnies]

lung cancer would decrease by 70%

[7901]

I think there would be mass roiting, because people are addicted to them.

Or they'd fly to other countries, where they are legal.

[Hiphopopotamus]

It would force the rightfully innocent to turn to dealers so they have to pay inflated prices while people label them as "low-lifes". Sure it would be a short cut to bringing down the "big evil corporations" and reduce lung cancer but it would have a much greater cost at the end.

[nihilii]

Then I might as well smoke pot.

[Thewests]

At 6/22/09 04:24 AM, 7901 wrote: I think there would be mass roiting, because people are addicted to them.

Or they'd fly to other countries, where they are legal.

I guess i can see the american population maybe decreasing

[Andy-Parker]

it wouldn't happen. governments make way too much money off cigarette taxes.

[Delecta-ma-ble]

they would become the sort of things you can only buy in alley ways, like drugs

[Sensationalism]

Of course, there'd be a lot less deaths.

But the government all around the world would lose HUUUUGE amounts of money.

[Xenolithic]

At 6/22/09 04:11 AM, Thewests wrote: So i was thinking I a couple days ago, what would happen if cigarettes became illegal?

The world would be a place if assholes for about 3 months or so, then the addiction would be gone to those who smoke, and it'd be normal again.

[HungarianSupermarket]

At 6/22/09 04:13 AM, duper1012 wrote: the U.S. would lose like $1 B every year.

Much more than that, buddy. The tobacco industry is easily one of the largest in America.

[Chaos007]

Smoking is bad
It makes people die
It is polluting the atmosphere

[Jon4life]

At 6/22/09 05:17 AM, Chaos007 wrote: Smoking is bad
It makes people die
It is polluting the atmosphere

Since when has this happened?

[Sensationalism]

At 6/22/09 05:17 AM, Chaos007 wrote: Smoking is bad
It makes people die
It is polluting the atmosphere

Oh really? Wow I never noticed that!

[PDAF]

At 6/22/09 05:21 AM, Jon4life wrote:

At 6/22/09 05:17 AM, Chaos007 wrote: Smoking is bad
It makes people die
It is polluting the atmosphere

Since when has this happened?

Since like, forever?

[CraigCastello]

Tobacco Plants arn't hard to grow, quite frankly I think the American government over time will go in the opposite direction and start legalising drugs like Extasy.

[Sensationalism]

At 6/22/09 05:42 AM, CraigCastello wrote: Tobacco Plants arn't hard to grow, quite frankly I think the American government over time will go in the opposite direction and start legalising drugs like Extasy.

Quite frankly, I think your wrong.

The only reason cigarettes are still legal, is because of all the money the government get off them.

The reason Marijuana is legal, in some places. Is because it's used so widely. And it can also be used for medicinal purposes.

Where as Ecstasy. is just a party drug, that fucks people up.

The government still have some dignity.

[Thewests]

At 6/22/09 05:42 AM, CraigCastello wrote: quite frankly I think the American government over time will go in the opposite direction and start legalising drugs like Extasy.

Why do you think that?

[CraigCastello]

At 6/22/09 05:48 AM, Sensationalism wrote:

Quite frankly, I think your wrong.

The only reason cigarettes are still legal, is because of all the money the government get off them.

The reason Marijuana is legal, in some places. Is because it's used so widely. And it can also be used for medicinal purposes.

True

At 6/22/09 05:48 AM, Sensationalism wrote: Where as Ecstasy. is just a party drug, that fucks people up.

The government still have some dignity.

The American government doesn't have any dignity, ask the victims of agent orange and Extasy doesn't 'fuck' people up, it has no effect on them what so ever, whereas any kind of smoking causes lung, heart and brain diseases.

[HappyYeti]

if they did then the government would be regreting it for years, they would lose lots of money each year

[REDSPADES]

At 6/22/09 04:13 AM, duper1012 wrote: the U.S. would lose like $1 B every year.

You'd lose a hell of a lot more than that a year.
But think of how much you'd save on public health not having to house and treat so many patients that have chronic illness caused by smoking.

It'd definately cost Americans in the short term, DEFINATELY.

[SevasTra]

At 6/22/09 05:13 AM, HungarianSupermarket wrote:

At 6/22/09 04:13 AM, duper1012 wrote: the U.S. would lose like $1 B every year.

Much more than that, buddy. The tobacco industry is easily one of the largest in America.

With the killing they make on cigarette taxes it's just highly confusing that they don't legalize marijuana. They could make probably as much on taxes with that.

[newgroundslover94]

i think it would be good cause ive known alot of ppl who have died from smoking and if they become illegal their would no way ppl could die from it and there would be a drastic drop in cancer cases

[Greenfrost6]

The government would lose billions of dollars. Oh, and people would be all badass and still smoke them.

[ismellarat]

At 6/22/09 05:54 AM, CraigCastello wrote: The American government doesn't have any dignity, ask the victims of agent orange

You're comparing the past with the current. Times have changed.

and Extasy doesn't 'fuck' people up, it has no effect on them what so ever,

LOL WUT.
Amphetamines are among the most addictive and corrosive drugs to the body, particularly the brain. It just seems to have no effect because people rarely ping more than once or twice a week.
I'm not against drugs, as I often indulge in them. I'm still at least aware of the damamge they do, as should everyone, for or against.

[Kidiri]

Chances are, this will happen. However, they'll do it gradually. Most likely by bringing up the legal age to 18, prohibit smoking in public places, prohibiting smoking on the job, in the vicinity of children, decreasing the amount of shops where you can buy fags, making them extremely expensive etc.
Surely, people would still be against it, but if done gradually, the populace will have less objection to each step than if you did it abruptly. That's what they did wrong with the prohibition.

Note: maybe not those, maybe not in that order, I'm no politician/jurist/...

[yurgenburgen]

If cigarettes (I presume you mean all tobacco products, cigars etc.) became illegal, people would start buying them from criminals who smuggle them into the country. Not only would this make a lot of criminals even richer, but there wouldn't be any money from these illegal sales going to the government in taxes, which sounds great but the reason tobacco is so expensive is because of all the medical care that smokers eventually require.