Why dont governments ban the sale if cigarettes?

Question

Governments make huge profits from the sale of cigarettes which have caused more deaths in this country than any other disease. Even the packets now tell you that smoking is a health hazard and our hospitals are full of people suffering from the effects of smoking, such as heart disease, thrombosis, emphysema etc. I wrote to our PM but no reply. More people should sue the manufacturers and or governments for allowing it to happen. My dad would be alive today if he had never smoked.

Answer 1

tobacco and acholol fall under the same category...if governments were to ban 1 they would have to ban both.....yes there are huge taxes paid on these items...the warnings have been put in place to deter our youth from smoking...those who have claimed compensation in class acts did so if they were smoking prior to these warning...but at the end of the day it is up to the individual to decide whether they will smoke or not....

Answer 2

I don't know if you're in the USA but if you are...
Have you ever heard of prohibition? The government tried to ban the import, sale or manufacture of alcohol in the US in 1920. What was the result? Basically utter chaos. Rum-runners from Canada, moonshiners here in the Us, etc. Police were so inundated with trying to enforce this law they had little time nor manpower to do much else. It didn't work. The solution was to REGULATE the import, sale and manufacture of alcohol. The exact same result would befall us if tobacco were to be banned. Thus it too is regulated. That's why there is a warning on the box...that's why you have to be 18 to buy it. As far as profits from tobacco sales...their profit comes from taxes which are another form of control. High taxes make tobacco products less desirable because of their total price, thus the government is actually trying to curb tobacco usage. In the end though tobacco users should really take responsibility for their actions. If you're addicted to tobacco products you should help yourself to quit, and not try to blame the manufacturer or your government. Internalize your problem and find a way to quit weather it through counseling, group therapy, or cold turkey.

Answer 3

You've answered your own question.
They dont ban the sale because "Governments make huge profits from the sale of cigarettes which have caused more deaths in this country than any other disease. "

Who cares whose dying? As long as we get the dough it doesnt matter. You see, the thing that drives people to work is money. Money is very versatile. With money, you can buy a car, use it fund a warlord in Africa, or use it to buy Rolexes and diamond rings. The need, (want, I should say), is a greater force than morals. So if youre wondering why your government wont ban sales, its probably because you've already answered your own question.

Answer 4

The trouble is this - not only does tax money provide a great amount of money to governments, but the tobacco industry employs many people and many farms are supported by the industry. They are a powerful lobby and it is impressive that regulation of smoking has managed to come as far as it has. However, despite the arguments regarding secondhand smoke (which are only just beginning to be adequately addressed), cigarettes are the personal choice of the smoker, and they have the right and must have the right to choose whether or not they will smoke. Simply outlawing something does not stop or help the problem whatsoever. Narcotics are a great example of this. If you deny people a personal freedom such as this through law, they will simply ignore the law and exercise their right.

Answer 5

Sorry about your dad. I agree with you and equally hate cigarettes. However, even if there was a government ban on cigarettes, people would still go out and buy bootlegged ones. The only solution I can think of is the type of negative publicity that you have just written about. Have you ever thought of talking to junior high or high schools of the dangers of smoking. I think people would listen to what you had to say.

Answer 6

Many people drink, even though it causes death due to drunk driving accidents each minute, rots your liver, increases the risk of domestic and childhood violence.

Many people drive cars, even though exhaust has been proven to be hazardous to our health AND our environment.

Unless you are willing to also work towards banning those as well, you're practicing a world of hypocrisy.

If you don't like smoking, don't smoke. Stay away from people who do. But don't try to dictate what other legal choices adults can make, or do with their bodies.

Answer 7

Governments make a lot of money from the tax.
Smoking is a personal choice. If people sue the government for allowing them to do dangerous things then we can kiss mountain climbing, sky diving etc etc goodbye!

Answer 8

your question: Why dont governments ban the sale of cigarettes?

next thing you said: Governments make huge profits from the sale of cigarettes

..so go figure. sad but true.

Answer 9

becuase of the sales tax goes to government and you know that there are billliong of people smoking. so they makes lots. but the government should. if i ever become president i will ban it. but some people are addicted and don't want to stop and they might start smuggling it

Answer 10

so sorry you lost your dad, but from a smokers prospective , we KNOW it can kill us but just as all others have freedom of speech we have freedom to choose what we do to our bodies, good or bad, i know it is unhealthy to smoke , known it for over twenty years , yet I CHOOSE to do it, know one makes me,, i can understand the second hand smoke issue and know we need to find a common ground,,,but yet we should not have to feel , discriminated against,,, such as i dont smoke in my own house because of children ,,, so i understand the ban in resturants ,,, but i feel it is wrong to try to make us stop smoking when we are all awear of the dangers if someone says they didnt know the dangers in the last twenty years they are lying i knew when i started and it was my chose , it should be my chose to stop,,,, yet i agree if you dont smoke you should not be subjected to it ,,, we just have to find a common ground,,, no one should be judged by race , creed or religion or smoking or drinking statis, if others cant agree on that it it truly a sad world we just need to meet in the middle,,,,