Banning Cigarettes

Banning cigarettes in order to force people to be healthy is like banning all firearms to keep people safe, or throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Freedom of choice is essential and inherent in every free and open society.

We cannot abandon the principles that have made this country great even with the best of intentions. If people choose to smoke, that choice should be their own. If history should act as a guide it would prove that prohibition of any product does not necessarily curb its' use. Besides, banning cigarettes would devastate many local communities by eliminating tax revenues that the sale of tobacco provides.

Today's economy is in its most fragile state. Many local and state governments find themselves in severe budget deficits. Eliminating potential revenue sources, such as tax revenue from cigarette sales, would severely impact crucial community and emergency services. Budget cuts would directly impact police, fire, and ambulance services.

History has proven that when outlawing a product ordinary citizens become criminals almost overnight. Prohibition of Alcohol during the 1920's did not stop people from enjoying their liquor. Rather, it fueled rebellion against government authority. Police officers even joined the black market activity by helping bootleg the alcohol themselves. Likewise, the banning of cigarettes would empower cartels to capitalize from its black market sales. By attempting to promote morality, America fashioned a culture of gangs and booze- that still haunts us today.

The advocates for banning cigarettes certainly have the best of intentions however, their approach is lopsided. In a free and democratic society the only weapon an individual needs for self-preservation is knowledge, through education. The National Center for Health Statistics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded in a 2002 study that the correlation between tobacco use and lung cancer rates was