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 veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
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 Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire 
#11128881 - 09/25/09 10:18 PM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire
September 25, 2009 - AlterNet
By Tony Newman
We should celebrate our success curbing cigarette smoking but let's not get carried away and think that criminalizing smoking is the answer
The war on cigarettes is heating up. This week a new federal ban went into effect making flavored and clove cigarettes and illegal.
The new regulation halted the sale of vanilla and chocolate cigarettes that anti-smoking advocates claim lure young people into smoking. This ban is the first major crackdown since Congress passed a law in June giving the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco. There is talk of banning menthol cigarettes next.
Meanwhile, another major initiative to limit smoking wafted out of New York City last week.
A report to Mayor Michael Bloomberg from the city's health commissioner called for a smoking ban at city parks and beaches to help protect citizens from the harms of secondhand smoke. To his credit, Bloomberg rejected this measure, citing concern over stretched city and police resources.
While I support many restrictions on public smoking, such as at restaurants and workplaces, and I appreciate public education campaigns and efforts aimed at discouraging young people from smoking, I believe the outdoor smoking ban and prohibition of cloves and possibly menthols will lead to harmful and unintended consequences. All we have to do is look at the criminalization of other drugs, such as marijuana, to see some of the potential pitfalls and tragedies.
Cities across the country -- from New York to Santa Cruz, Calif. -- are considering or have already banned smoking at parks and beaches. I am afraid that issuing tickets to people for smoking outdoors could easily be abused by overzealous law enforcement.
Let's look at how New York handles another "decriminalized" drug in our state: marijuana. Despite decriminalizing marijuana more than 30 years ago, New York is the marijuana arrest capital of the world.
If possession of marijuana is supposed to be decriminalized in New York, how does this happen? Often it's because, in the course of interacting with the police, individuals are asked to empty their pockets, which results in the pot being "open to public view" -- which is, technically, a crime.
More than 40,000 people were arrested in New York City last year for marijuana possession, and 87 percent of those arrested were black or Latino, despite equal rates of marijuana use among whites. The fact is that blacks and Latinos are arrested for pot at much higher rates in part because officers make stop-and-frisk searches disproportionately in black, Latino and low-income neighborhoods.
Unfortunately, when we make laws and place restrictions on both legal and illegal drugs, people of color are usually the ones busted. Drug use may not discriminate, but our drug policies and enforcement do.
Now let's look at the prohibition of cloves and other flavored cigarettes. When we prohibit certain drugs, it doesn't mean that the drugs go away and people don't use them; it just means that people get their drugs from the black market instead of a store or deli.
We've been waging a war on marijuana and other drugs for decades, but you can still find marijuana and your drug of choice in most neighborhoods and cities in this country.
For many people, cloves or menthols are their smoke of choice. I have no doubt that someone is going to step in to meet this demand.
What do we propose doing to the people who are caught selling illegal cigarettes on the street? Are cops going to have to expend limited resources to enforce this ban? Are we going to arrest and lock up people who are selling the illegal cigarettes? Prisons are already bursting at the seams (thanks to the drug laws) in states across the country. Are we going to waste more taxpayer money on incarceration?
The prohibition of flavored cigarettes also moves us another step closer to total cigarette prohibition. But with all the good intentions in the world, outlawing cigarettes would be just as disastrous as the prohibition of other drugs.
After all, people would still smoke, just as they still use other drugs that are prohibited, from marijuana to cocaine. But now, in addition to the harm of smoking, we would find a whole range of "collateral consequences," such as the black-market-related violence that crops up with prohibition.
Although we should celebrate our success curbing cigarette smoking and continue to encourage people to cut back or give up cigarettes, let's not get carried away and think that criminalizing smoking is the answer.
We need to realize that drugs, from cigarettes to marijuana to alcohol, will always be consumed, whether they are legal or illegal.
Although drugs have health consequences and dangers, making them illegal -- and keeping them illegal -- will only bring additional death and suffering.
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 ShroomieGirl
What are these god damn animals
 
Registered: 05/29/07
Posts: 1,938
Last seen: 2 months, 17 days
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: veggie]
#11129150 - 09/25/09 11:12 PM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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dude! that sucks!! cloves?? c'mon man... thats rediculous
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I'm ok, really.
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gnarfbuckle
Above The Ignorance
Registered: 01/15/09
Posts: 804
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: ShroomieGirl]
#11129172 - 09/25/09 11:20 PM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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if they ban methols i know about 1,000,000 black people that will kill somebody just to get a newport.
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bobbles
Drop Acid, Not Your Pants
Registered: 06/10/08
Posts: 254
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: gnarfbuckle]
#11129289 - 09/25/09 11:53 PM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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Sucks ballz. I don't smoke, but will once in a great while have a clove. Tried buying some the other day and all the ones I love are discontinued they said.
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pwnasaurus
Stranger
Registered: 07/16/08
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: bobbles]
#11129582 - 09/26/09 12:59 AM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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Very well written! I love his writing style and tone, it's well done.
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nukem47
Stranger
Registered: 09/20/09
Posts: 8
Last seen: 2 years, 7 months
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: gnarfbuckle]
#11129613 - 09/26/09 01:10 AM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
gnarfbuckle said:
if they ban methols i know about 1,000,000 black people that will kill somebody just to get a newport.
lmao. mhm. seriously though this ban is redonkulous.
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Coaster
Baʿal
Registered: 05/22/06
Posts: 33,501
Loc: Deep in the Valley
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: nukem47]
#11129960 - 09/26/09 04:44 AM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
making them illegal -- and keeping them illegal -- will only bring additional death and suffering.
its a common belief that prohibiting a substance reduces the number of people using them
yes ppl will still use them but at lower rates supposedly
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ComputerTekGuy
Teh Awesome
Registered: 01/15/07
Posts: 564
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: Coaster]
#11130376 - 09/26/09 08:22 AM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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At least when they ban them, they'll become cheaper, just like any other drug 
I'm surprised this is being allowed by any of the states. Know how many states rely on tobacco tax income? This is going to kill funding, especially to public schools. People are not seeing the big picture on what is going to happen. We're a country built and founded on tobacco, chocolate, gold, cotton, and alcohol.
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eTarded
Clubbed to death...
Registered: 08/03/09
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Last seen: 9 months, 13 days
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: ComputerTekGuy]
#11130672 - 09/26/09 09:49 AM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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Banning smoking in restaurants and indoors at public places? Alright fine, I'll deal with that. Outlawing vanilla and chocolate cigs? Ok I'll deal with that too, but making clove cigs illegal is stupid as hell, and if they seriously make menthols illegal... people are going to be furious.
The day I have buy black market menthol cigs is the day I ask myself wtf happened to this country. Not mention, I want my god damn flavored rolling papers! 
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doom876
Stranger
Registered: 08/01/08
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: eTarded]
#11131137 - 09/26/09 11:31 AM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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It wont happen. See "tobacco precident"
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Fight for a large loving government that can take care of its people, kill our criminals, and preform the huge industrial tasks our corporate overlords refuse(wanna greenwash me some more Exon?)
Not this weak travesty that let millions starve and sucks corporate cock while failing at every turn.
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durian_2008
Registered: 04/02/08
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: doom876]
#11131250 - 09/26/09 11:50 AM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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Question--
How are flavored papers and tobaccos made?
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Tn-Jed
Stranger
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: durian_2008]
#11131305 - 09/26/09 11:56 AM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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They try to take my smokes and we will be fighting.
Thats BS that they dont have better, more important shit to worry about, what has our country come to?
Next ban..... The Big Mac, why? Too many people like to eat junkfood.
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kingsmountainview
Sultan
Registered: 09/17/09
Posts: 78
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: Tn-Jed]
#11131438 - 09/26/09 12:15 PM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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It's only a matter of time...
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Toxic/Hallucinogenic spores are for microscopy purposes, all posts regarding their cultivation fall under one of three categories: 1) hypothetical scenario 2) complete bullshit 3) complete hypothetical bullshit. Any questions?
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buddhabadger
Evil Overlord
Registered: 01/16/09
Posts: 491
Loc: The Forest
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: kingsmountainview]
#11131511 - 09/26/09 12:27 PM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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I made my own clove joint last night in mockery of this silly, useless little feelgood law.
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- I don't abuse drugs; in fact, I think I treat them quite nicely. -
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doom876
Stranger
Registered: 08/01/08
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: Tn-Jed]
#11132066 - 09/26/09 01:51 PM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
Tn-Jed said:
They try to take my smokes and we will be fighting.
Thats BS that they dont have better, more important shit to worry about, what has our country come to?
Next ban..... The Big Mac, why? Too many people like to eat junkfood.
Let's just ban the unhealthy. No healthcare for self-imposed issues like emphezima from smoking, obesity, gang banging injuries, etc. That's incentive.
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Fight for a large loving government that can take care of its people, kill our criminals, and preform the huge industrial tasks our corporate overlords refuse(wanna greenwash me some more Exon?)
Not this weak travesty that let millions starve and sucks corporate cock while failing at every turn.
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dondoodle
Stranger
Registered: 06/29/09
Posts: 394
Last seen: 10 days, 17 hours
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: doom876]
#11132557 - 09/26/09 03:30 PM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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If this ban sticks I am going to learn how to make flavored wraps and cigarettes and sell them. Fuck the prohibition state and its goal of dominating people for it's own power.
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End American imperialism and colonization around the world and among the people conquered within the domestic empire.
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durian_2008
Registered: 04/02/08
Posts: 1,912
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: dondoodle]
#11132622 - 09/26/09 03:51 PM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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Volatile oils can be gathered from simple stills...
FWIW, I'm not underage. I don't turn kids onto cigs, and I enjoy flavored tobaccos in moderation.
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beandip
mycelium
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 335
Loc: Stoner HQ, USA
Last seen: 3 months, 6 days
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: durian_2008]
#11132704 - 09/26/09 04:10 PM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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The store nearby me has cloves available if anyone is seriously interested PM me. I got a pack to stick in the fridge 
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*BEANDIP'S TRADES*
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PoopSoap
Capri Sun Kings
Registered: 01/24/09
Posts: 445
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: beandip]
#11133354 - 09/26/09 06:10 PM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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I'm fucking pissed no more flavored Juicy Jays to experiment with. Thanks government you make me proud to be an American!
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user808
Wanderer
Registered: 01/23/06
Posts: 50
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Re: Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire [Re: veggie]
#11133541 - 09/26/09 06:36 PM (2 years, 7 months ago) |
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The ban includes clove cigarettes but not clove cigars. =)
"The new filtered cigars — close to the size of a cigarette and flavored with clove, vanilla and cherry — allow Kretek International Inc., which imports Djarum-brand tobacco products from Indonesia, to avoid new federal laws banning flavored cigarettes other than menthol."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32723154/ns/business-retail/
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