I see what you're getting at Cara and there is of course more than enough warnings now on cigarettes that people know firsthand the dangers before they even take up the habit. Once upon a time it was not like that!

BUT, in saying this. Here is what I have a big problem with. It's what is added to the cigarettes (the typical ones) that really gets me. The chemicals/metals/additives are dreadful. You only have to read through a list of what goes into them, that in the end you feel like you're sucking on the end of a mini exhaust pipe. Even though I overdid it by smoking a load of them at one evening, why many months later was I still suffering from it! It still shows how poisonous they are, even though I overdid it. Even one cigarette can make me sick.

What we get is a much perverted/degraded version. Perhaps if all that they sold was the real mcoy without the tampering and contaminants, that would be the better way! If they must sell cigarettes, why not sell the much healther alternatives? yes they are more expensive, but hey that too has its advantages. It may force people to limit their intake or seek help for their addiction.

There is also plenty of help out there for those who are addicted, much more information now than they ever had and much more help for that. Those that want to pay extra for the healthier cigarettes, that's up to them. It may also force them to space them out more (another benefit).

Sugar is also bad for people (I'm not talking about natural foods like fruit/honey etc). PEople can become addicted to this also. And there are many health implications involved with high sugar intake. I wish this too would be removed or limited from our food supply because there are PLENTY of healthy alternatives to this. Dark chocolate contains far less sugar and contains many other benefits. Carob, etc etc. I wish junkfoods would be removed, but that'll never happen of course.

That maybe going I know. But I'm just making a point that no there is no way we can ban all of these things that are damaging to our health, it would be wonderful but obviously highly expensive and unrealistic. What a pity the cheaper stuff is also the stuff that hurts. Some people become easily addicted to these things, I've been addicted to sugar, my Mother was addicted to cigarettes, and I know plenty who are.

It's not rare, many people who smoke have big issues giving up and often return to the habit. I can name enough in my own family, let alone how many others out there have the same. I'd imagine if I had not suffered immediate and long term effects from the one off cigarette/s that I would possibly have become addicted also over time. You don't intend to smoke all day, you just want to enjoy it sometimes, but unfortuantely with what they add to them, it's designed to hook you!

And as for alcohol? This is worse. The damage that this has caused in my country alone is so bad, it's beyond belief and that's with the youth alone, not counting the rest. I've seen what it's done to people. I know three people who have had big issues with it. Two became alcoholics and one became beligerant and nasty (effects on liver/brain?). Think of all the damage it's done through drunken behaviours in cars (killing other innocents on the road), family abuse, etc etc. You don't see cigarettes causing somebody to forget who they went home with and where they are when they wake up. Or going home in and beating up their wife or kids through "drunkeness". Or causing accidents on the road with impaired vision/thought.

But banning alcohol would be like opening the flood gates. In my country they lowered the drinking age, because they took the "cop out" idea that they might as well because "they're going to do it anyway". Well, it's now become even worse than what it was. Their cop out excuses didn't work and now they're having to try and pick up the pieces and set up programmes for the worse problems they're having with drunken youths.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/looney.gif" alt="" />gee I wonder why things got worse instead of better..