Should smoking be illegal?

Yep. State government. The union has no such authority.

 

The Commerce Clause of the Constitution proves you to 100% WRONG, as usual.

 

Only commerce among the several states.

 

Neither am I an expert in law, but it appears I know more than you, or are willing to talk about the points more than you.

From Article I Section 8 of the US Constitution: "(Congress shall have the power) To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States..."

What that means is that if a law does not comply with "the foregoing powers, etc", that law is invalid and unconstitutional. Such is the case with our illegitimate drug prohibition, whether you understand that or not.

 

Apparently you failed to either completely read or comprehend my post that you are responding to, I'm not sure which. Nowhere did I advocate incarcerating addicts nor did I advocate NOT treating them. I pointed out that in view of what we pay to treat the health care costs of those who choose to use ILLEGAL drugs, what we pay for the health care costs of those who choose to use LEGAL drugs should be a complete non-issue. At least when purchasing their drugs, they are contributing to the coffers. It seems you don't actually see tobacco smokers as "addicts", when in fact studies show that for many it can be as addicting as opioids. As you pointed out, the difference is that the addicts generally don't run the risk of dying immediately, leaving them plenty of years to contribute as tax paying members of society. I certainly care what medical care costs taxpayers. But I have a moral compass, one that doesn't discriminate amongst addictions and actually leans towards making sure that those addicted to a LEGAL substance aren't financially penalized when those addicted to an ILLEGAL substance aren't financially penalized. Fair is fair. We either pay for all or we pay for none.

 

Was there is any point in that rambling ranting screed that can be summed up in a single coherent sentence?

 

The obvious point that those following the thread will grasp. Thanks for making your hypocrisy even clearer!

 

Thank you for establishing that you could not come up with a single coherent point by resorting to puerile ad homs.

 

Case in point. Nicotine is not addictive according to the classical and clinical definition that has been around for over 100 years. Tobacco users do not suffer the characteristics of addiction as defined by the century old scientific standard. It became "addictive" only when the feds and the states smelled billions of dollars that they could glom onto.

 

Talk about DENIAL!

Nicotine is one the MOST addictive substances on the planet.

There are physical WITHDRAWAL symptoms which PROVE that it is addictive.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nicotine-dependence/symptoms-causes/syc-20351584

http://www.achoice2live.com/quit-sm...ine-addiction-facts-every-smoker-should-know/

 

See it even more in women who drink and take drugs and it has a big effect on the fetus.

 

None of your cites or statements satisfy the long standard definition and characteristics of addiction. Though they all satisfy the later politically correct and driven requirements. The governments and zealots required the label addictive because demonizing things is a good way to gain support for an idea, and "addictive" sounds much much worse than "habit forming." The medical profession and many institutions agreed because it is much easier to follow the herd or mob. It was declared addictive and, following the lead of the antagonists, many scientific entities set out to find a reason why, even though good science is done the other way around.

Actually your last cite did approach the clinical definition of addiction; but it then incorrectly attributed tobacco to those traits without any backing. For example, the characteristic of needing more and more of the addictive substance is part of the clinical definition of addiction. But the cite says 100% wrongly that cigarettes fit that description when they do not in the least. Smokers develop a habit of so many cigarettes a day and stay at that level for decades and, in fact, are repugnant to increase. Many decrease their smoking. 30 -50 million have stopped smoking over the decades with hardly a whimper -- withdrawal similar to stopping drinking coffee or soda or eating Big Macs.

 

Thank for confirming your DENIAL of the addiction of nicotine.

 

Me and thousands of true scientists. Since you have no credible refutation go trash them.

 

You must be referring to the small group of hacks who were well paid by the tobacco cartel to write up all those fake "studies" about smoking.

That drivel was DEBUNKED by REAL scientists all around the world.

That anyone is still gullible enough to believe that refuted disinformation says volumes.

 

Do you mean like that EPA study on second-hand smoke that almost got them a contempt of court citation for putting made up stuff into evidence?

 

Get back to me when you have anything from the CDC or the NIH.

 

I believe in liberty, so no smoking should NOT be illegal. However, those who inhale the smoke from any burning material should have to pay higher health insurance rates.

 

I don't think you can find many/any credible scientific studies that show with little doubt that lifetime medical costs for smokers are any higher than for non-smokers. How would you come up with a credible insurance premium surcharge? You can't rely on Charlie Zealot who could whip out such a study in less than an hour. On the other hand it is probably easy to show that people who drive cars more the 6000 miles a year have higher lifetime medical costs (though how much more is not so easy). Why don't they get a surcharge?

 

If the left want universal health care, they should be totally against smoking.

 

How Much Can the USA Reduce Health Care Costs by Reducing Smoking?

 

I love a cigarette or( twenty) with a glass (or two)of fine wine & a lucky slot machine--If I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go happy---
So,no, cigarette's should not be illegal----I'll tell ya one thing that should be illegal & that's trump's twitter account----

 

What kind of Liberty costs tens of thousands of lives per year in USA alone?

 

I am not Liberal, but I am 100% for Universal Health Care and rights to food and shelter.

 

Even if the numbers are exaggerated 10 times, smoking causes 40,000 deaths in USA per year.