> But let's look at the policy implications of banning tobacco. With tobacco
> sold legally, it can be regulated by the state. We, supposedly, restrict
> sales to minors and collect taxes off of every sale, raising millions of
> dollars every year. If we criminalize tobacco, we lose the ability to
> regulate this drug. First, instead of getting millions of tax dollars each
> year from the sale of tobacco, we would have to start paying law enforcement
> officers to try and get tobacco off the streets. What police function, would
> you want to see cut, to increase a ban on tobacco use? Traffic enforcement,
> homicide investigations? Our law enforcement officers are streached to the
> breaking point now, the last thing I would want them to start doing is
> breaking into people's homes because they want to smoke a pipe or cigarette.
a person could use your argument here to make a case to leagalize mary jane, or
narcotics. we are spending a lot of money enforcing drug laws and stretching
our law enforcement. we could legalize it, tax it and control it. Same goes
for prostitution which probably was legal 100 years ago but i don't know. what
about sports betting.
I wouldn't say these are good ideas but is sounds like the reason for not
banning tobacco is because it would be hard and banning where you can use it is
just taking the easy way out.
> What programs should we cut because of the lost tax dollars from tobacco?
I thought that tobacco cost the state millions and getting people to quit would
save a ton of money in reduced health care costs. wasn't this the point behind
the tobacco lawsuit and MPAAT?
john harris
camden, minneapolis
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