What do people think of banning smoking and/or/not legalising marijuana?
Let there be debates! (Hopefully someone reads this thing - apart from GinBaby ofcourse [whilst she is win, she can't have a debate with herself, or can she?]).
Banning smoking is a dumb idea, I just think they should force tobbaco
companies to use proper inhalant technologies instead, all of the
nicotine, none of the health problems from inhaling second hand smoke
or tar or any of the other chemicals, the technology exists, tobaco
companies don't do it because it would slightly increase their
production costs, (wich compared to the sale price, wouldn't result in
much of a prophet loss at all.)
As for legalising marijuana, I got no idea, apparantly it makes people
go schtiz, I'd need more info before I culd really make a desicion
about it.
All of this banning is in the name of saving lives because smoking kills. illegal drugs kill, well, so does too much of almost anything. Cars kill, so lets ban cars. peanuts kill, so lets put Jimmy Carter in the poor house. Shellfish kill, lets ban seafood. Red meat kills, lets ban red meat. Mushrooms kill, ok, they're gone too. Too much milk can kill, ha, do away with milk. Motorcycles, ban those horrible things.
We are either going to live in a society where everyone is responsible for their own welfare or we are going to hand our lives over to the government. Our choice, and so far it looks like the government is winning. What a shame. We are starting to bleed freedoms from our veins, never to be recaptured, once they are assured they have the loyalty of the military on their side, against us. Its all over but their shouting, Down with the People!
Just some interesting concepts to throw in the mix.
Marijuana is much (as in about 50%) less harmful to a person than either cigarettes (which have a ridiculously high mortality rate) and alchohol (a lesser rate than cigarettes - however it is involved in 50%+ of crimes).
Personally, I would love all tobacco smokers who have no history of or any inclination towards any mental disorder to switch over to hashish - it doesn't smell, it doesn't give off second hand smoke, it has a tiny mortality rate, it is involved in only a tiny amount of crimes.....
I agree with madmouser on this one, people should be responsible for
their own welfare, and if everything was legal, it would also be
subject to safety standards.
Ahem. While I can debate with myself, my mind is pretty well settled on this particular issue. Zack--marijuana doesn't make anyone go schizo. That's government propaganda, lad.
I only support the banning of smoking in places where others who do not want to take the health risk would be forcibly subjected to it. Places of business where people have to go (government offices and whatnot) shouldn't allow it, for example. I'm for banning it in most restaurants, mainly because if it isn't, then most restaurants will allow it, and then the great majority who don't want to breathe in that stinky shit will have nowhere to go to eat out. On the other hand, I think you can't ban it in bars, because--christ, what's a bar without smoke? Like some kind of yuppy sanitarium is what. No, thanks. Give me the smoky, grungy dens of perdition.
As for marijuana--I think there is no reason it should be illegal or even controlled. As you pointed out, it is far less harmful than alcohol and tobacco and is also involved in far less crime than alcohol is. I think all currently illegal drugs should be decriminalized. Did you know that 99% of people who try cocaine never do it again? The problem isn't the cocaine--it's a problem with the 1% of people who do use it again, and the somewhat fewer who end up addicted. They need treatment. I think all drugs, like all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, should be controlled for purity and so forth. But we need to focus on treating people who become addicted. Also, removing the criminality of drugs will, I think it has been shown, greatly reduce the crimes associated with drugs (at least the ones such as theft, "gang wars," etc.)
And, finally, I could offer up the most dubious of arguments: I did it (all of them, nearly, at one time or another), and I'm fine. Very, very fine, thank you.
Well, in Japan it had premiums, too, but they were structured to be affordable for normal people. I mean, here in America, anyone can theoretically get health insurance, but the premiums--and, indeed, our entire health care system--are structured so as to be affordable to no one. It would appear that as of July 1, my family--yeh, all three of us--will have affordable health insurance through my husband's new job. My son has health insurance through the state currently, but it only covers kids. So, after two years, we may soon once again have the luxury of seeing a doctor should the need arise. Hurrah!
Comments
As for legalising marijuana, I got no idea, apparantly it makes people go schtiz, I'd need more info before I culd really make a desicion about it.
We are either going to live in a society where everyone is responsible for their own welfare or we are going to hand our lives over to the government. Our choice, and so far it looks like the government is winning. What a shame. We are starting to bleed freedoms from our veins, never to be recaptured, once they are assured they have the loyalty of the military on their side, against us. Its all over but their shouting, Down with the People!
Just some interesting concepts to throw in the mix.
Marijuana is much (as in about 50%) less harmful to a person than either cigarettes (which have a ridiculously high mortality rate) and alchohol (a lesser rate than cigarettes - however it is involved in 50%+ of crimes).
Personally, I would love all tobacco smokers who have no history of or any inclination towards any mental disorder to switch over to hashish - it doesn't smell, it doesn't give off second hand smoke, it has a tiny mortality rate, it is involved in only a tiny amount of crimes.....
Ahem. While I can debate with myself, my mind is pretty well settled on this particular issue. Zack--marijuana doesn't make anyone go schizo. That's government propaganda, lad.
I only support the banning of smoking in places where others who do not want to take the health risk would be forcibly subjected to it. Places of business where people have to go (government offices and whatnot) shouldn't allow it, for example. I'm for banning it in most restaurants, mainly because if it isn't, then most restaurants will allow it, and then the great majority who don't want to breathe in that stinky shit will have nowhere to go to eat out. On the other hand, I think you can't ban it in bars, because--christ, what's a bar without smoke? Like some kind of yuppy sanitarium is what. No, thanks. Give me the smoky, grungy dens of perdition.
As for marijuana--I think there is no reason it should be illegal or even controlled. As you pointed out, it is far less harmful than alcohol and tobacco and is also involved in far less crime than alcohol is. I think all currently illegal drugs should be decriminalized. Did you know that 99% of people who try cocaine never do it again? The problem isn't the cocaine--it's a problem with the 1% of people who do use it again, and the somewhat fewer who end up addicted. They need treatment. I think all drugs, like all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, should be controlled for purity and so forth. But we need to focus on treating people who become addicted. Also, removing the criminality of drugs will, I think it has been shown, greatly reduce the crimes associated with drugs (at least the ones such as theft, "gang wars," etc.)
And, finally, I could offer up the most dubious of arguments: I did it (all of them, nearly, at one time or another), and I'm fine. Very, very fine, thank you.
Libertarians unite! Down with the government!
See? Very fine. Ah, my wasted youth!
Daddy wants a new subsidised broadband network!
We had one of those fancy thingumies once..... But then Mr Whitlam got the boot and Fraser and his Razors took over.
Oh Mr Whitlam, kiss me on the mouth.
~S
Although sadly at the rate the federal government is privatising things by the time you arrive it may have premiums attached.
:|
You're joking right?
What if you have a car accident and you have no health insurance?