Not allowed to show tobacco in the tobacco shop?

[sand18f]

It seems as though, our hiprocracy knows no bounds.
There's a lot of teenagers that paid the ultimate price, for the assumed right, to smoke a Marlboro and drink a cold beer after a firefight.
What if we just stay the hell out of everyone's business?

 

[dshpipes]

It seems as though, our hiprocracy knows no bounds.
There's a lot of teenagers that paid the ultimate price, for the assumed right, to smoke a Marlboro and drink a cold beer after a firefight.
What if we just stay the hell out of everyone's business?

I agree about the liberties that have been fought and paid for. However, when it comes down to really being free to doing whatever we want, there comes a difficult balancing act. In the US, it's really "you're free so far as you don't infringe on someone else's freedom." The "problem" with tobacco as it's being marketed is that smoking inherently infringes upon the freedom of anyone anywhere near the smoker. This is bullshit of course, but people who are touting this idea are touting it loudly.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

A pipedream wish: that cigarettes weren't so directly connected to other forms of tobacco.

But, it is what it is.

Funny thing about people, historically and present-day, the more something is hidden, the more they seem to seek it out. Making it go away doesn't make it go away.

8)

 

[dshpipes]

Making it go away doesn't make it go away.

But it does make it harder to find, which I think is the argument. If someone doesn't know about it, they can't seek it out. I think this is the reason the antis are out to destroy tobacco completely. They see it as the only way to "save the children" from the "evils" of tobacco.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I'm sure for the 0.0001% of teenagers that have no idea what a cigarette (or tobacco) is, it'll be a rallying success for those who implemented such laws...those whom, of course, weren't implementing such laws for success as they were for padding their own résumés. They know it doesn't work, too. The magician knows his "magic" isn't real, it's fooling everyone else that seems to be the point.

8)

 

[dshpipes]

The magician knows his "magic" isn't real, it's fooling everyone else that seems to be the point.

Bingo.

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

I'm sure for the 0.0001% of teenagers that have no idea what a cigarette (or tobacco) is, it'll be a rallying success for those who implemented such laws...those whom, of course, weren't implementing such laws for success as they were for padding their own résumés. They know it doesn't work, too. The magician knows his "magic" isn't real, it's fooling everyone else that seems to be the point.

8)

Don't tell me you don't get a craving for a Big Mac when you walk passed a McDonald's at 9:30 in the morning. I know my fat ass does.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Don't tell me you don't get a craving for a Big Mac when you walk passed a McDonald's at 9:30 in the morning. I know my fat ass does.

Not really. My stomach had too many years of being cheap and eating the equivalent of tin cans for nutrition for too long, and I have the digestive issues to prove it. I am unfortunately, not a goat (no matter how much I wish it were different) :lol: . Fast food lost its luster a long time ago for me.

8)

 

[sand18f]

What Kyle said!!!

I suppose that any day now, Big Macs, violent video games and white sugar will be made illegal...for the childrens sake.

 

[serif365]

I'm a little late weighing in on this post but the conspiracy theorist in me is beginning to tell me I told you so. I've bought 50+ pounds of tobacco in the last six months due to a fear that I would not be able to purchase finer tobaccos online. Tobacco at my local pipe shop runs about five dollars an ounce plus tax with little discounting for volume purchase. I buy tobacco online for an average of three dollars an ounce in bulk to five dollars per ounce tinned, pay no tax and if I order a certain amount it's shipped to my doorstep free of charge (a great time to be in the US). Yes, our fine cigar lobby still seems to be strong in Congress and I have encouraged my elected officials to continue keeping finer cigars and pipe tobaccos separate from cigarettes and cigarettes disguised to look like cigars. Although chewing tobacco is a particularly nasty practice I did enjoy a bit of a good plug while camping or fishing but this tobacco product can no longer be purchased via the web (not that I really miss it but it's still the principle).

Due to changes being brought about in the health insurance industry in response to Obamacare, we have a new "wellness plan" going in to effect this year designed to make our insured population "healthier". This is a point based system whereby if we acquire enough points due to improved health practices (weight control, excercise, NO TOBACCO, annual physicals, etc.) our insurance premiums will not go up 80% next year. We are a company with roughly 500 employees on our campus. Unlike many other "progressive" Austin companies ours set aside a small smoking "paddock" so smokers could at least go outside and support their habit as well as their fellow imbibers. February 1st they will no longer be allowed to smoke on the property. We have banned smoking in any fashion from our city parks and other public places. I smoke on my back deck...my last bastion of piping pleasure. I can live with this arrangement and I have enough tobacco cellared to last my lifetime. Doggedly I expect my time on this celestial orb to be extended due to the too-short periods I have to contemplate this existence over a good pipe with proper weed. I've seen much change in my life and I hope to see even more since this is the way of things but I hope to continue to enjoy it more with my pipe.

Onward and upward and to modify an adage from my earlier life, "Tobacco will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no tobacco."

 

[KevinM]

My.02 is that there's such a thing as "public business" and such a thing as "personal preference." It's easy and tempting for people who have a personal aversion to alcohol, smoking, large soft drinks, sporty cars, hunting, rough hewn sports, etc. to cast these choices as somehow infringing on public business. Yet, everything we do carries some risk. As the old Irish ballad says, "Them that don't like me can leave me alone." What ever happened to that plain, humble idea?

 

[ragged claws]

My.02 is that there's such a thing as "public business" and such a thing as "personal preference." It's easy and tempting for people who have a personal aversion to alcohol, smoking, large soft drinks, sporty cars, hunting, rough hewn sports, etc. to cast these choices as somehow infringing on public business. Yet, everything we do carries some risk. As the old Irish ballad says, "Them that don't like me can leave me alone." What ever happened to that plain, humble idea?

I'm afraid that plain, humble idea went the way of plain, humble common sense, Kevin. There are those that believe that the ant exists only to benefit the hive. I'm old enough to remember when freedom of choice, responsibility for one's actions, and human individuality were the celebrated norm.


Kim

 

[Vito]

...What if we just stay the hell out of everyone's business?

...As the old Irish ballad says, "Them that don't like me can leave me alone." What ever happened to that plain, humble idea?

...I'm old enough to remember when freedom of choice, responsibility for one's actions, and human individuality were the celebrated norm.

Well, at least it's comforting to know that there are some kindred spirits here.

 

[planetary]

I've long thought that as societies embrace national health care, in which the government has an increased stake in the health care costs of its people, that it will begin to penalize and prohibit behaviors which increase health care costs. In general, smoking makes people less healthy than they otherwise would be, so I expect that tobacco will be targeted.

And it's quite natural for it to be. If you entrust the government with the twin goals of paying for health care and keeping taxes under control, then they will naturally do everything in their power to decrease costs, including, if necessary, preventing the population access to things that increase medical cost risks.

 

[KevinM]

I understand that Bloomberg etc. are next going to ban doughnuts sold by the dozen. Only single, high-bran donuts will be permitted. And no mas with the cannolis. God knows how many people they've killed. We as a nation can no longer afford them.