Both my husband and I smoke. We used to each do one to two packs a day and now are down to less than a pack between the two of us. We have four kids. We don’t smoke in the house or the car or anywhere near our or anyone else’s kids. We don’t smoke around non-smokers at all. We don’t patronize places with smoking sections. Basically, we smoke at our only ashtray on the back deck of the house rain, snow, or shine, and that’s it. And yes we’re well aware it is going to lead to an early demise for the two of us – that doesn’t mean we want to take anyone else with us.

It is stupid to wage any type of tax on my cigarettes while ignoring all other forms of sin, vice, etc.

Some things to consider:

We don’t drink, but a Hell of a lot of people do. A large percentage of said drinkers get into vehicles because they are ignorant bastards, drive under the influence, and wipe out entire families at once. They are murderers by choice, and are doing damage to more than just themselves. Obviously this wouldn’t happen if people wouldn’t drink. Where is the heavy taxation of alcohol?

Fast food makes people fat. Period. Unless you’re on the “Jared Diet” if you hit the fast food joints frequently you might as well just buy a can of lard and grab a spoon (actually the lard might be better for you). Where is the heavy tax on McD’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, etc.?

Strip clubs and BYOB all-nude places are more often than not nothing more than brothels. Prostitution and STDs go hand in hand, and those girls and boys working there certainly don’t advertise if they have HIV or herpes, etc. – that would be bad for business. Where’s the measurable sin tax on your cover?

Global warming is a reality. SUVs produce massive emissions that are killing our environment and all its inhabitants – certainly more than my cancer sticks. Where the HELL is what should be the astronomical tax on those precious H2s?

Is anyone else seeing the lunacy here?

Look, my point is that we have legislation against smoking just about everywhere already. There are cigarette warnings everywhere. The level of education concerning this stuff has never been higher. Those who choose to smoke themselves to death don’t need to be ridiculously taxed in the process. They need to be left to peaceably smoke themselves into an early grave on their back decks by themselves, thanks.

Fill the coffers with an ever decreasing amount of money, until everybody quits, and the collections are zero?

You know what happens if you try that,don’t you?

First, the money hungry politicians will aim at other things they can tax to discourage you — french fries? soda pop? white bread?

Second, when they realize that they are taxing these things out of existence -D’oh!– they’ll raise the usual taxes they always do, to make up the “loss”

Didn’t someone say, “The power to tax is the power to destroy”?

It damn sure isn’t a way to make policy

Why should the government tax personal vices in the first place?

Was Prohibition bad, bad, bad, but taxing all kinds of other things to provide disincentives is good?

Oh c’mon. Burgers, soda pop, cheetoes and ice cream. These are supposed to be essentials?

I gave up my vehicle 10 years ago in favor of public transit. I simply will not put up with lectures from people driving their shiny SUV’s about my smoking.

I always tell these people that I don’t blow smoke in your face, so stop blowing smoke in mine.

And since she quote no statistics, I see no reason to believe it.

So what?

What matters is that it is true, not that you two believe it…

“But there isn’t a scrap of credible evidence that women would be safer if we made the state a pimp, which is what legalisation would mean.”

Realy? So women working in brothels in Arizona suffer the same levels of violent attacks as women working the streets in other places?

I find that hard to believe.

And since she quote no statistics, I see no reason to believe it.

That’s because the Religious Right LIKES the spread of STDs. They see is as retribution from God. Why do you think they opposed the cervical cancer vaccine some months back?

The myth of nonviolent prostitution and drug use rears its ugly head

Give me one good reason why I should trust a periodical called “The Republican”?

The problem with smoking, as opposed to unhealthy foods, as fighting pointed out, is that smoking hurts the people around the smokers, not just the smokers themselves.

If you can’t quit for yourself do it for your kids. Do it now.

As far as the strip club tax goes, there’s a good amount of folks who would be paying that tax who are rich conservatives, so go for it. I think you’d find more STDs at just about any other venue where men and women interact than at a strip club, however.

For the record, I’m more or less in favor of legalizing drugs and prostitution so we can get the tax revenue from it and stop throwing people in jail for nonviolent crime.

Everything. When you think about it, if you want to let the government tax the shit out of everything that is unhealthy for you (and others), then you are sliding down a very slippery slope.

That vehicle you drive? The exhaust is bad for the environment, for you, and for every other living creature on this planet. Let’s just tax it out of your price range.

That burger you just ate? It’s not good for you. And neither is that bag of cheetoes you just bought. Let’s tax that out of your price range too.

Forget about the soda pop and those double vanilla ice cream cones you used to enjoy when you were a kid. It’s carrot sticks and celery from now on – because big brother is watching.

I’m a fellow liberal (believe it or not), but I can’t abide this crusade any longer. Lay off the friggin’ smokers – they’ve been beaten into submission already.