The Student Room Group

Should cigarettes be made illegal?

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Theoretically I'd like them to be banned, but it wouldn't stop people using them illegally anyway so the government might as well collect tax on it and (hopefully) spend that on useful things like health services and improving transport.
Also, if it were to be made illegal, then it would be more difficult for people who want to quit to get help and support for their addiction seeing as they may be arrested for being in possession of drugs if they ever came forward.
It should be banned publicly.

People that smoke are littering the air. People that smoke near children are awful. People who smoke in the street leaving a trail of smoke behind them should stop too.

I would like to see public smoking banned. It's a waste of resources and human labour and energy to create, only to pollute the air and create litter with cigarrette butts everywhere.

It's disgusting to walk behind someone smoking or go outside a bar/club for some fresh air, only to get smoke blown on my hair and face. If I had asthma, I would be so much more pissed. My hair smells like it's been to a bonfire if I hang around people smoking. How is it sociable for those that don't?

You might aswell be ****ting yourself and walking around town. No one wants to smell that or smell like that.
The state should intervene to stop stupid people from needlessly harming themselves. Despite a plethora of reasons not to smoke - not least because it's incredibly damaging to health with no benefits - some people are still too stupid to realise the dangers, therefore the state must step in to ensure a healthy populous.
I'm not pro-ban here, because I feel that it would be an unnecessary attack on personal freedoms.

To the ban lobbyists - where do you propose to recoup the lost public income?
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by rockrunride
To the ban lobbyists - where do you propose to recoup the lost public income?


I've not done the maths but I think there are areas where we'll save money - the NHS would probably save billions over years if it was banned, the government wouldn't have to spend money on health awareness about smoking, people would have more money to spend on other things which could stimulate the economy in many ways.
Original post by addyaxis
It's disgusting to walk behind someone smoking or go outside a bar/club for some fresh air, only to get smoke blown on my hair and face. If I had asthma, I would be so much more pissed.


Well I have asthma and I don't smoke and the smell doesn't bother me. It's not exactly nice but nowhere near as bad as people make out.
Original post by nebelbon
I've not done the maths but I think there are areas where we'll save money - the NHS would probably save billions over years if it was banned, the government wouldn't have to spend money on health awareness about smoking, people would have more money to spend on other things which could stimulate the economy in many ways.


The tax income v cost (NHS, enforcement), both recorded and forecasted, don't economically support a ban.
Considering we all get to the age of what 15/16 until teenagers start realising smoking is the 'in thing' and by going round the back of their school having a cheeky cig from time to time makes them the 'cool' gang. If smoking was never brought into people's lives in the first place, people wouldn't know what they were missing. I think banning it now would create more hassle but then not banning it is still bringing teenagers up into a world full of dirty habits, it's a hard one!
Original post by nebelbon
The state should intervene to stop stupid people from needlessly harming themselves. Despite a plethora of reasons not to smoke - not least because it's incredibly damaging to health with no benefits - some people are still too stupid to realise the dangers, therefore the state must step in to ensure a healthy populous.


So, what else do you intend to ban on the same logic? Alcohol? Red meats? Processed meats? Most of the crap on TV and the internet?

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Jammy Duel
So, what else do you intend to ban on the same logic? Alcohol? Red meats? Processed meats? Most of the crap on TV and the internet?

Posted from TSR Mobile


Cars, chocolate, sweets, anything containing sugar and/or salt, sex, sport, chips... How long before there's nothing left to ban @nebelbon
Original post by Wilfred Little
Well I have asthma and I don't smoke and the smell doesn't bother me. It's not exactly nice but nowhere near as bad as people make out.


I just probably have very low tolerance of it. It's incredibly horrible to breath in for me. If i personally also had asthma, I would feel even worse.
This thread is such an eye opener to the world of smokers. Smokers like to make friends in smoking corners and have a 'community' outside of pubs on fag breaks. Like really? Do you really rely on smoking to have other smoker friends. Why not go to the cinema with your mates or hang out in another way? :biggrin:

I have also realised that smokers are very defensive aggressive individuals who clearly feel embarrassed that people have to sit next to them and smell that smell, that they puff smoke on people in public and leave family behind in the future due to smoking. But get defensive and reply with, 'what is it to you?' 'How does it effect you?'. Well personally I feel sorry for you all. I really do. Goodbye to this thread and please do not reply to this comment with more argumentative name calling, there is literally no point.
Original post by LizzieArt
This thread is such an eye opener to the world of smokers. Smokers like to make friends in smoking corners and have a 'community' outside of pubs on fag breaks. Like really? Do you really rely on smoking to have other smoker friends. Why not go to the cinema with your mates or hang out in another way? :biggrin:

I have also realised that smokers are very defensive aggressive individuals who clearly feel embarrassed that people have to sit next to them and smell that smell, that they puff smoke on people in public and leave family behind in the future due to smoking. But get defensive and reply with, 'what is it to you?' 'How does it effect you?'. Well personally I feel sorry for you all. I really do. Goodbye to this thread and please do not reply to this comment with more argumentative name calling, there is literally no point.


As a non-smoker, I feel that it is a person's choice to smoke and the state should not intervene in that. The ban on smoking in public buildings I support, but smoking outside doesn't harm anyone else and you can't ban something because it doesn't smell nice.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by PetrosAC
As a non-smoker, I feel that it is a person's choice to smoke and the state should not intervene in that. The ban on smoking in public buildings I support, but smoking outside doesn't harm anyone else and you can't ban something because it doesn't smell nice.

Posted from TSR Mobile


If you read my previous posts you will realise that my individual view for the ban is not specifically due to a smell….you can't just isolate one thing I say and make it out like that is THE reason. XD
Besides, after my friend had a serious asthma attack when we were sat at a bus stop next to a smoker, I think it is wrong to say public smoking is not an issue.
Original post by LizzieArt
This thread is such an eye opener to the world of smokers. Smokers like to make friends in smoking corners and have a 'community' outside of pubs on fag breaks. Like really? Do you really rely on smoking to have other smoker friends. Why not go to the cinema with your mates or hang out in another way? :biggrin:

I have also realised that smokers are very defensive aggressive individuals who clearly feel embarrassed that people have to sit next to them and smell that smell, that they puff smoke on people in public and leave family behind in the future due to smoking. But get defensive and reply with, 'what is it to you?' 'How does it effect you?'. Well personally I feel sorry for you all. I really do. Goodbye to this thread and please do not reply to this comment with more argumentative name calling, there is literally no point.


Original post by LizzieArt
If you read my previous posts you will realise that my individual view for the ban is not specifically due to a smell….you can't just isolate one thing I say and make it out like that is THE reason. XD
Besides, after my friend had a serious asthma attack when we were sat at a bus stop next to a smoker, I think it is wrong to say public smoking is not an issue.


So you're blaming the smoker for your friend sitting next to a smoker...wow...
I guess next time somebody jumps in front of a train we should be blaming the driver of the train for their death, right?
Original post by Jammy Duel
So you're blaming the smoker for your friend sitting next to a smoker...wow...
I guess next time somebody jumps in front of a train we should be blaming the driver of the train for their death, right?


Well if somebody got shot , would you blame the shooter or the victim, for standing in front of the bullet that was going at about 1500 mph 😕 ?
Original post by #JOSH45#
Well if somebody got shot , would you blame the shooter or the victim, for standing in front of the bullet that was going at about 1500 mph 😕 ?


Depends who made the conscious choice, if the person being shot chose to be shot, as in explicitly made a decision to be shot, then the victim, with blame apportioned to the shooter for actually doing it; if purely the shooter, then the analogy is irrelevant.
Original post by Jammy Duel
Depends who made the conscious choice, if the person being shot chose to be shot, as in explicitly made a decision to be shot, then the victim, with blame apportioned to the shooter for actually doing it; if purely the shooter, then the analogy is irrelevant.


Regardless of whether or not the victim made the conscious decision to be shot, the bottom line is that without the shooter nobody would get shot, even if the victim wanted it.
Original post by #JOSH45#
Regardless of whether or not the victim made the conscious decision to be shot, the bottom line is that without the shooter nobody would get shot, even if the victim wanted it.


The bottom line is that if they chose to stand in front of the gun, they wouldn't have been shot if they didn't; similarly, if the individual in question had moved away from the smoker they probably wouldn't have had the attack. I know people don't seem to believe in individual responsibility much any more, but there is still a point where you have to call somebody an idiot.
Nothing should be illegal that doesn't harm anyone else.

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