yeah .. well, i don't mince words ... i drink and smoke cigars ... so fucking crucify me in fact that is what im doing right now ... with Clapton strumming sweetly in my ears ..
"so fucking crucify me" Not at all. You sound like the kind of guy, who won't drop dead if someone blows a puff of smoke in there face, you might kick their ass but it won't result in the vapors. "On my god, get me outta here" I need air, somebody stop that man he's killing all of us." But then again, i could be wrong.
here you go ... one of my all time favorites ... Clapton ... Hello Old Friend <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/72oq1jqejhA&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/72oq1jqejhA&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
I do see cigarettes as being eventually banned because of health reasons. It would be for the best. Somehow, I had started smoking, lightly, a little over a year ago. It really is a struggle, but, also enjoyable. I smoked as a youngster, then quit at 21 about (religious conversion), then after 25 years (can you believe it) lit up, after watching my wife who had also been a non smoker during that time - our entire marriage, light up in a bar. It's actually very addicting, and I found out after I started, even more addicting than morphine. I think its the contrarian in me. Our state we live in passed a no smoking in public places about the time we started, plus I work in a smoke free work place, no where on company grounds(a top healthcare provider in the country), and they even stopped hiring smokers. I guess its something I'm enjoying for the moment for different reasons, life issues, circumstances, stress reliever ect. But its something I plan to conquer, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Interesting that even those brave enough to admit smoking mostly do not confess benefit. I'm not defending or advocating smoking, but to say smoking has no benefit beyond satisfying addicition does not fit my experience. Tobacco/nicotine is a smart drug. Through increasing dopamine and inhibiting MAO enzymes in the brain, it increases concentration, focus and memory and decreases risk and manifestations of cognitive problems such as ADD, Alzheimer's and parkinson's disease. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine#Therapeutic_uses Personally, in my wholly politically incorrect experience, compared to periods of not smoking, I am happier, healthier and smarter as a smoker. p.s., I don't really like any of the options in the poll. I think the best answer is development of safer forms of tobacco products- not continued war on smokers or tobacco. Further criminalization of smoking could lead to cigarettes, in their current risky form being sold in the blackmarket by organized crime. Cigarettes are not difficult to manufacture.
There is NO WAY smoking will ever be banned....Look at the federal Budget....Look at how much is derived from cig. tax.....could you imagine a non smoker like me saying " sure, I'll pay more in income tax to make up for the lack of cig. tax revenue????
I don't think smoking should be banned but it should be regulated, potential new users discouraged and current users educated. It's a personal choice but given the huge negative health consequences/costs to society the state has an obligation to step in and place deterrents to continued use.