Are We Retarted????

Question

Recently I saw a court ruling ordering US cigarette manufacturers to stop posting terms such as "light" or "low tar" on their product. Understanding this as an attempt to eliminate smoking in our society i am worried. Why has society and politics suddenly decided to regulate what products we can and cannot consume. From attacks on fast food to violent video games to smoking why has everything become someone elses fault. Do people not realize that as soon as you ban something like smoking it opens the door for other bans. I believe people should be allowed to make their own choices regarding their health and actions. Shouldn't we be allowed to enjoy the things that are legal and avalible to us without fear of regulation? They are my actions and i will accept the consequences and it is no ones choice but my own. Am i alone here?

Im 14 so pls forgive me if my argument is somewhat disjointed. I welcome your thoughts and opinions.

by the way for those out there that r to blind to see i dont smoke or drink.

Answer 1

you're point is valid except that people don't accept responsibility for their decisions. people choose to smoke and then when they get lung cancer some sue the cigarette companies. those companies lied about how addictive their product was, and they even had the data to prove it decades ago.
this is just a backlash from HUGE settlements and will balance out in about 20 years. people have a right to die by their own poison, and you can't really legislate morality, people will do what they want for the most part. but when we ask all the other citizens to pay for their bad choices government tries to step in and help prevent us all having to pay for these bad choices by placing bans on things which cause harm. kind of like driving with your seat belt...we know it's safer having one on. a lot of people would be dead if not for that law but nothing would have changed if there was not such a law in place.

Answer 2

The reason for this is that the term Light is misleading. Look at a pack of Light cigarettes, and you should find, in very very very small print if you look hard enough, "The term Light refers only to the taste of the cigarette" or similar wording. It is NOT lower in nicotine or any other harmful elements.

They're not trying to take away your privilege to smoke (once you're 18 young man!) just to do something about what is practically a lie they tell to get people who know cigarettes are bad for them to justify smoking these cigarettes because they're "light", ie, not so bad, but they're actually exactly the same.

there's an article in the NY Times about how they found a way, through scientific breakthrough, to make cigarettes seem to have the legal amount of nicotine in standard tests but that conduct more nicotine through the smoke into the user's lungs. Believe me, they want nothing more than to slowly kill you and take your money. Stay away, not just for your life, but because you don't want to give people like that your money.

Answer 3

They are trying to eliminate smoking because it is a dirty, nasty, deadly and heavily addictive substance!

Cigarette companies lied for years about the risk, and your example above,only shows that their mandated warnings are couched in remarks that makes you think they are better for you! They aren't You still have the choice to die of lung cancer, a cancer that from diagnosis to death is usually less than a year! And smoking is 99% of the causative agent!

You would be better off spending your money elsewhere than be addicted to a substance that is harder to quit than drugs or alcohol!

It is great that you can make your choices, but sometimes WE end up paying more for your habit than you do!

I don't think anyone is banning smoking, and at your age, you do it because of peer pressure, and even do it when you know it is illegal for people to sell them to you! Alcohol and smoking are neither good tasting products, until you are addicted!

You have to understand that we do not pass laws because they are always good! Actually many are poor, and the reason is that they are knee-jerk reactions to something. That is how you lose your liberties a piece at a time!

You wanna die? Go for it!

Answer 4

Yes, you should be concerned. Unfortunately, the US has decided that anyone who has a bug up their rear end about any issue whatsoever, they can change the laws for everyone else even if everyone else isn't in agreement about it.
It's funny how this country was created because we didn't want to be under such fierce government rule, yet that is exactly what we're heading toward.
We should have known this was inevitable as soon as they started to tax us again. Didn't the Boston Tea Party happen so that we wouldn't have to pay taxes anymore?

Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.

Answer 5

ok just cause we have freedom of speech that does not mean you can shout fire in a crowd, why cause it will create a stampede and some will get hurt and or die,and the person who yelled it would be charged with inciting a riot ,freedom does not mean ''no responsibility''and yes some times there is too much regulating,but would you want to buy something that was labeled ''safe'' and was not or go into a elavator that has not been inspected for 10 yrs just cause the owner does not like the ''invasion of his privacy'' , like it or not are actions have a effect on others and why should your rights be worth more then mine i.e second hand smoke ,thats why

Answer 6

The problem is that the results of smoking are not just your concern. If people really paid for their own health care or just curled up and DIED from smoking, it would not be as big an issue. But the health care system has to take care of you when you get sick from smoking. We're talking MILLIONS of taxpayers' dollars to fix what people have done to themselves. So, yeah, it is a bigger concern than being your choice.

That being said, the government is pretty hypocritical about regulating smoking. They are getting billions of dollars from the tobacco industry, yet they get on their "high horses" about how awful smoking is.

Answer 7

I believe the term you are wanting is RETARDED, not retarted.
I feel we should be allowed our free will, unfortunately free will can lead to horrible consequences because people are for some reason UNABLE to USE their brains in the capacity to THINK!!!
There are a lot of things that should be regulated & as unpopular as it may be, VIOLENT video games & profanity in music are only two. When I am driving down the street I should NOT have to explain to my boys why the car next to use with it's stereo BLARING is playing SO CALLED music with the violence & profanity I have heard. Belive me, I can cuss like a sailor, but I am smart enough to be able to use other words when the boys or others are around who might be offended.
God gave us ALL free will, unfortunately there are FAR TOO MANY people out there who are NOT smart enough to use it or use it correctly. It's a case of SAVING US FROM OURSELVES in way too many cases.

Answer 8

Unfortuneately, cigarette companies screwed themselves.
For years cigarette manufacturers lied to the masses by saying that they are not addictive, do not cause cancer and can't kill you. This is society's way of getting revenge over the years that the tabacco industry lied to everyone.
As far as government regualting what we consume, I don't know if that is true. I think more or less they want us to know what we are putting into pur bodies before we put it there. Then there are relgious people who think that anything that is bad for you should be illegal. That plays into it too.
Hope this helps.

Answer 9

dude i think that it should be band outside because it affetcs people around the smoker. heard of second hand smoking?? yea even second hand smoking can kill people. mothers and fathers that smoke in their homes hurt children and all other living things, plants and pets ect. as for drinking it hurts others as well. people do stuff they normally wouldn't do when their drunk such as or murde etc. most of the criminals are drunk when they commit their crime. any think in excess that is bad is also bad in small amounts. this is what Islam teaches and that's y , alcohol and any thing that hurts the body is haram or forbidde

Answer 10

music and video games i agree with u one. but smoking and fast food i dont.
fast food has become a problem because its the only readily available way to eat out without spending alot.
u can cook at home and starve while u wait or go to a restuarant and starve while u wait and pay to do it or go to a fast food palce that serves low quality food.

smoking...its teh second hand thing that gets my vote. ever kissed a chick that smokes? ever looked at a womans teeth, skin, nails that smokes. its gross dude.
makes your clothes smell like fart.....

i think they shouhld legalize weed, its better than cigerettes jk