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Bhutan first country to outlaw tobacco

modern maenad

09:16 / 17.12.04

Historical day - from today, 17.12.2004, it is illegal to buy or sell tobacco in Bhutan, and smoking it is banned in all public places (duh!). What d'you think? Even though I smoke myself I think this is fantastic. If all countries banned tobacco sales, then within a couple of generations smoking would cease to exist and nasty tobacco manufacturers would no longer make big profits out of killing people. (OK, I know I'm being a little idealistic, but you get my drift). So, you with me on this one?

sleazenation

10:02 / 17.12.04

Not really, no. Experiences with other illegal narcotics such as opium and cocaine would appear to suggest that demand will persist for any given narcotic regardless of its status in the law...

modern maenad

11:07 / 17.12.04

hhmmme. Yes, on the one hand tobacco smoking existed well in advance of malboro man and camel camel and wouldn't be wiped out completely, but can't help feeling that cultural norms have a huge part to play in smoking rates - I suppose I just get depressed when the tobacco giants decide to 'make more of an effort' to sell their products in a particular country, and as a result - bingo - sales go up, as do cancer rates etc. I'm thinking particularly of the current push to compensate for falling sales in west by 'expanding' in other parts of globe. Also, can't help feeling that tobacco is less exciting than narcotics and would be less enthusiastically pursued by black marketeers.... A world wide ban wouldn't directly lead to choruses of "mummy, what's a cigarette?", but if it made a massive dent in the numbers of people smoking it would be a good thing.......

Axolotl

11:13 / 17.12.04

While I am all for the elimination of the menace of Big Tobacco I have to say that Sleazenation is right and that prohibiting narcotics doesn't work.
Aside from practical reasons I also have ideological problems with state interference in the individual's rights to take whatever drugs they so desire, though I do realsie that my libertarian ideals aren't all that workable in today's society.

modern maenad

11:37 / 17.12.04

I find myself squirming, because a substantial part of my head agrees, nanny state = bad. Then another bit rises up and says that we need to be protected (from the lies, the manipulation, the baddies, ourselves...).

Redundant thread?

Loomis

11:46 / 17.12.04

What about growing it yourself? I am very much against any law that prohibits an individual from growing a plant and doing what they like with it.

LykeX

12:13 / 17.12.04

OK, I was going to write something rather nasty, but considering I might actually offend people, I've decided not to. This is only because I'm in a happy mood, don't expect this kind of concern in the future!

I'll just say this instead: Legalize all drugs. If nothing else, it will provide those that do not take them with a lot of entertainment.

lekvar

20:56 / 17.12.04

Believe it or not there is (or was, I haven't heard much about it recently) already such a beast as black-market cigarets.
The Native American tribes, being nominally soverign, manufacture or sell cigs without tax. This can lead to a substantial savings when the smokes are bought in bulk. Consequentially there is profit to be made buying on the Reservation and selling in the surrounding county/state. This is frowned upon buy the Federal Government, who feel that they aren't getting their due.
I also seem to remember that there was a group of Muslim youth who would buy large quantities of cigs in one county and sell them in the next county over where they were marginally more expensive. 10 cents a pack doesn't seem like much, but when you're moving 10,000 packs it can equal a decent chunk of change in your pocket.

Axolotl

12:06 / 18.12.04

Here in the UK there's a big market in black market tobacco bought over from the continent who have much lower rates of duty on tobacco, you often get blokes in pubs selling them.

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