Should the government ban tobacco and alcohol?

[Sportsman]

Disuss

[barry luxton]

why?

[Sportsman]

why?

 

I thought it might be a bit more interesting than "what I had for breakfast this morning" Of course, if you don't have an opinion the you won't want to contribute.

[Emma two]

I don't think that they should. It would just be another decision taken away from the individual and given instead to civil servants (politicians). Let us continue to make people aware of the dangers of these substances, then they can make the final decision to use them or not.

 

We already have a culture bogged down with, in my opinion, over done safety protective policies. A condition which has become to be known as 'nanny state'...we are in danger of raising generations of wimps who may become unable to make decisions for thmselves, and increasingly look around for someone to blame when things go wrong.

 

Of course outlawing drink would be highly likely to increase crime as it did infamously during the US's flirtation with prohibition. It would provide another product for the gangsters to make money on and attract all the ills that are associated with that.

 

The already slow legal system could grind to a halt. Prison overcrowding would increase. And millions of pounds of tax moneywould be lost to the state, with the knock on effect of yet more public spending cuts.

 

Does anyone know, or would like to come up with a decent estimate on how many jobs are dependant upon alcohol?

 

Fortunetely I can't imagine it happening in my lifetime

[crumpercatcher]

Yes they are more harmful and addictive than many 'illigal' drugs. Prohibition in the USA was such a massive success.

[lutra]

Dave, I'm kind of guessing your not much of a party animal.

[Steve Walker]

No. It's none of their damn business.

[Sportsman]

Dave, I'm kind of guessing your not much of a party animal.

 

Far from it Brian

I smoked for more than 40 years. I gave up due to pressure from my family and also because I didn't like laying in bed at night listening to myself breathing.

 

I drank much too much for many years and for a few years I was probably a low grade alcoholic.

 

I flirted with other noxious substances in my youth.

 

I was addicted to prescription pain killers for over 20 years.

 

I think you could say that my opinions ( which I have yet to give) are based on experience

[snakey1]

As I suggested in the recreational drugs thread, if you believe that stiffening the sentances given for possession and/or trafficking of recreational drugs to the extreme will reduce crime and antisocial behaviour caused by these drugs surely the same logic would equally appy to the problems (both criminal and health related) caused by alcohol and tobacco (as generally from what i've read these figures seem to be higher) so banning these two items would be the logical next step in reducing crime and improving the nations health. Yes there would be a reduction in taxes taken but this could be offset to a degree with a reduction in public spending by reducing the number of police and public sector workers (doctors nurses etc) as there will be less crime and health problems for them to deal with. unfortunately you would create a lot of unemployment in the brewing and distilling trade and its associated areas (pubs etc) as well as the pubic sector but hey you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

Or as I also suggested you could legalise all drugs and make people responsible for their own actions, there would be a large increase in taxes taken which then could be plowed into public sector services that have to deal with said problems and you could still give out extremely harsh sentances to those who cause problems through antisocial behaviour related to taking these products whilst leaving those who can use them responsibly to be allowed to do so in peace. there would be increased employment in the public sector and also in the private sector (drugs could only be sold through licenced premises like the amsterdam coffee shops). you also would get less overdoses related to the varying levels of purity of certain drugs and what they are cut down with and these drugs could be taken in a relatively safe environment.

Or maybe there a compromise between the two.

Edited July 6, 2012 by snakey1

[Now there's a right un.]

Alcohol is as old as the hills. It is better education we need not restrictions.

As a youngster I drank, got drunk, got tired of the side effects of being drunk then began drinking moderately until 2007.

Due to medications I must take daily I can never drink again.

 

In moderation alcohol is okay in my opinion.

 

 

Smoking is a difficult subject. I started through peer pressure and continued to smoke until I was 27. I stopped for 5 years and briefly started again after a bereavement. I stopped in 2005 and in 2007 virtually killed off my right lung with a Pulmonary Embolism.

I am fortunate that I can start and stop at will but nowadays knackering up my one good lung doesn't seem that sensible to me.

 

I would like to see a UK wide smoking ban to be honest and free help for those who are addicted presently. After all the government is quick taking its share through taxation which means it has a certain liability to smokers in general.