+182 The government will spend a million dollars to save just a few lives in a hostage situation by using helicopters, highly trained professional police officers, and high end weapons. If the government actually cared about protecting life they would've tried harder to illegalize cigarettes, saving the lives of millions. How is it any different that a massive hostage situation? Amirite?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

They make money from it, that's how.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

People choose to smoke. People do not choose the be kidnapped and held hostage.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

The government IS working to illegalize tobacco. They just aren't making significant progress because they are trying to avoid the anarchy induced when prohibition of alcohol was instated.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

(Chauncy Pickles): what do you mean?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

What part are you asking about? If you are talking about prohibition, type "1". If you are talking about something else, type "Sopapilla", or describe the situation with which you need assistance.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

(Chauncy Pickles): "anarchy induced"

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Making something illegal does not mean people will stop doing it. If people are going to do something like smoking, which is horrible for themselves and for the environment, I doubt they'd care about whether it is legal or not. Especially if they're addicted. Already addiction is treated like a crime when it is a disease. People look at marijuana addicts as lower beings because marijuana is illegal. I don't think changing laws is not going to make a big difference. Besides, those are two completely different scenarios. People choose to smoke whereas I doubt people choose to be taken hostage

by Anonymous 13 years ago

people aren't addicted to marijuana they are addicted to the components that it is laced with.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I dont think my weed has shit laced with it... i dont have a physical addiction, but you could argue i have a mental addiction

by Anonymous 13 years ago

fair enough, my friends says the same thing. she doesn't feel like she needs it, but since it is such a strong habit, she feels weird if she doesnt do it on her "normal days"

by Anonymous 13 years ago

So according to your double negative, you think changing laws IS going to make a big difference?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Did you seriously compare smoking to being held hostage?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

People don't choose to be hostages, and we don't get tax dollars off of hostages (sounds terrible but it's true). This post doesn't seem to be thought all the way through.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Well for one, people don't CHOOSE to be in hostage situations. It's not like the government is making people smoke. The warning is very clear on each pack of cigarettes: May cause cancer.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

And cause you children to smoke, make your teeth fall out, the effects of hydrogen cyanide, etc etc

by Anonymous 13 years ago

And cause birth defects.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

And cause impotence

by Anonymous 13 years ago

And cause a generally apathetic demeanor.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

CONSENT

by Anonymous 13 years ago

They get better publicity from saving the hostages

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I bet you'd be really pissed if you watched a hostage situation on the news like the one you described, and all the hostages came out of the building smoking cigarettes...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

they'd also save another 100,000 yearly if they banned alcohol, but no one wants to give up the stuff because they enjoy it and because it is a huge part of the economy.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

$100,000 is like a drop in the ocean for a government's budget... seriously $100,000 wouldn't even be noticed. It'd probably cost more to police and impose the bans.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

not 100,000 dollars, 100,000 lives. and please don't tell me that you think 100,000 lives are unimportant, it'd be important if that was you or your family

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Ohhh well you should have specified. Of course I think 100,000 lives are important.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Because cigarettes make a lot of money, and sadly the government cares more about money than it's citizens health

by Anonymous 13 years ago

That isn't fair. The government needs money to work on making the country a better place for the people. Taxes are one of the few ways the government makes money. If smokers consent to signing their health away for a paycheck's worth of stress relief, who are they to stop them?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

(Chauncy Pickles): Yea I agree with you, but I just think when it comes to smoking the government could do more to stop it because it kills so many people. They outlaw other drugs like that just not cigarettes

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I SEE YOUR POINT.

by Anonymous 13 years ago