Why is manufacturing cigarettes still legal?

Answer 1

Because smoking cigarettes is legal - and because of the enormous influence of the tobacco industry and their lobbyists - and because of the huge tax revenues generated by the sale of tobacco products.

$$$ = power, in everything.

Answer 2

For the same reason skydiving, base jumping, bungee jumping, bull riding, and the such are still legal. The government isn't there to stop you from doing dangerous things. It is there to regulate it as much as possible. If you want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, go for it. If you want to strp your @ss to a p*ssed off 2000 pound bull, have a ball. If you want to consume a product that you know is detrimental to your health, ok.

If the government were to start outlawing things that are bad for you, we would end up like the people in the movie Demolition Man. In the words of Dennis Leary, "I've seen the future, it's a 40 year old virgin in a kimono singing I'm an oscar meyer weiner." Do we really want that?

Answer 3

The same reason alcohol, red meat, and sugar are still legal. You have the right to treat yourself as poorly as you want. I'm a firm believer in personal responsibility. If people want to smoke and slowly kill themselves, more power to them. They actually bring the cost of medical care down since they don't live as long. If the government starts mandating what is good or bad for you, we'll end up (eventually) with people being executed for eating salt on their non-fat soy based french fries. Well, that's a bit extreme, but the less the government rules my life, the better.

Answer 4

'Cause it's too much a part of the American economy (with both sales to the U.S., but most importantly, sales abroad.) and too much part of American history. Prohibition of tobacco would lead to serious underground crime and put many, many farmers out of business who can't do anything else with their land. So we encourage our citizens to stop smoking, but allow the "trafficking" in tobacco. Perhaps some day the crop will die out naturally, as fewer and fewer people smoke (or it will be a rare delicacy; something where people have a cigar after a baby's born, or at poker night, etc.) and with the market naturally dying, then there will just be fewer and fewer tobacco farmers, so agriculture and manufacturing could adjust gradually. However, that's not gonna happen anytime soon because of the bourgeoning foreign trade for cigs. (I wonder if we'll ever be compared to Columbia, exporting tons of dangerous drugs...)

Answer 5

Uh,probably because smoking is still legal?Why are cars still being manufactured?They kill more people than cigarettes.Just because YOU dont smoke,doesnt give you the right to take away peoples freedom of personal choice.If you like twinkies and I dont,would you like it if legislature put laws on eating twinkies?I am so sick of people taking rights away from others..,btw I dont smoke.

Answer 6

Because cigarettes are still legal.

Answer 7

(ps. obviously there would still be illegal trafficking but still many millions less smokers for sure if it only was illegal to manufacture and sell in stores) When they made it illegal to manufacture or sell Alcohol the amount of people drinking actually went up

Answer 8

The US government and the states are addicted to cigarette tax revenue. Cigarette smokers are willing to pay the tax.

Answer 9

Because America was built on tobacco farmers many years ago. Tons of tax money is made from people who smoke so I don't think it will ever be illegal.

Answer 10

Because smoking them is still legal.