Smoking kills

[Frisbee]

<<SMOKING KILLS. We all know it. It should be illegal, it will be one day>>

Yes, I agree that smoking kills, but don't you think people should be allowed to do what they want with their own lives?

I do not smoke, but I believe in peoples rights...It is the same belief that I have that most things should be legal as long as you do not infringe upon other peoples rights to choose.

[jester]

I couldn't agree with you more Frisbee.

You have every right to consume carcogens. Just don't do it near me, in my house and just don't try and tell my kids that it's a good thing to do.

However. It kills. And one day, in your lifetime, it will be illegal. You will have access to other narcotics and other means of consuming them, however I think Nicotine will go.

As drug technology improves, safer forms of recreational drugs, will become available, these will be generally less addictive, carry fewer health risks and will have improved "hit" on them. There will be a variety of stuff.

Society will become more tolerant of these safer drugs but despite the legalisation, crime will still exist, black markets will exist and consumption of crime will continue under the banner of free thought and rebellion.

I look forward to other points of view on this.

[Evan Young]

the survey

The survey I'm working on is done every four years starting in 2001.

http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/pp/tobacco/coloradotobaccodata.htm

this is a link to the results from 2001. Scroll down to the botom of the page and look for- Colorado Tobacco Attitudinal and Behavioral Survey (TABS)
there is more to find out about the problem than it's just bad for you.

[jester]

Very interesting. The problem is a bad one and I applaud your involvement in researching the facts so the more intelligent can find the solutions so that the less intelligent can vote for the even less intelligent who will completely ignore your findings and the eggheads advice.....

Your job is pointless - UNLESS - you take what you learn and campaign for a wider public debate and we change societies polarised attitudes (and massive ignorance on both sides) to recreational narcotics generally.

I know you care about this subject because we have discussed it before.

The sooner drugs companies invest in recreational drug research and take on the tobbacco giants, the sooner we can solve the problems associated with drug addiction and abuse.

I'm not saying we legalise all drugs. I'm saying we offer alternatives and we change our culture. I would love to be able to take some substances, know where it's been, trust the supplier and have a fair and intelligent assessment of the risks involved to make an informed choice.

Wouldn't it be great if you could buy drug A but have drug B available if for medical reasons drug A wasn't suitable for you...

Of course I am a dreamer........

I think it's bizarre that we tolerate obesity, junk food, additives and nuclear waste but we won't even debate drugs.

I personally think they are bad, but millions of people don't and they won't change their minds or their habits simply because we are intolerant of their opinions.

I think that the drug barons want drugs to be illegal because that keeps the prices high. And the governments are dumb enough to give them what they want.

[Evan Young]

we live in a democracy. deal with it.

yesterday I completed two interviews.
One with a retired professor in his early nineties and one with a college graduate cowboy (he rides a horse at work and everything), in his mid to late 20's. Both were non smokers. The Professor says he didn't mind cigarettes until his wife died of emphazema a few years back and is in favor of more restrictions on tobacco use. The cowboy felt like the laws restricting smoking are getting overbearing, that people are aware of the risks, and that society should lighten up a little.
Both men have completley valid points of view. I'm really not taking sides, I agree with everyone I talk too, and not just because it's my job to do so.

it's not like i'm mean to people on the phone, I laugh at their jokes, I listen to their rants, and if they say the right words I leave them alone.

so here is the real issue. cigarettes cause a significant health care cost to socitey as a whole. the state of colorado sued the tobacco industry in order to pay for health care for those who can't afford it. colorado won and was able to significantly raise taxes on cigarette sales, but part of the settlement was that they have to do studys on the population to find out what is going on, and they are happy to do so because it's usefull to them. phone interviews are by far the most cost effective way of doing this. this is the government doing what it can to fill in a role where the market is failing, and that is to keep the people healthy. europe and canada are ahaed of us in these sorts of matters, except for effective bans on smoking. The state I live in (massachusetts) has banned smoking in all resteraunts and bars, but most states havn't.
I can't wait to be done with this job, it's boring, but it's not evil or pointless.

Jester, your vision of safe legal recreational phamy's is a good one. if it were to take any real movement in a democratic society it would probably have to use phone interviewers to guage public support durring their publicity campain.

[jester]

And your point is?

I think one of the fundamental flaws with democracy is that telemarketeers are allowed to vote.

"Freedom of Speech!" Live with it!

[Evan Young]

edited last post, go back one

[jester]

Originally posted by Evan Young

Jester, your vision of safe legal recreational phamy's is a good one. if it were to take any real movement in a democratic society it would probably have to use phone interviewers to guage public support durring their publicity campain.

Game, Set and Match to Evan.

Nice one. Now LETS DO IT!

[Evan Young]

phamy's

ment to say Pharmys