The idea behind pipe promotion to cigarette smokers is to help people find a safer way to enjoy tobacco. I realize that in this country right now, run as it is by progressives and promulgators of the PC ethos, the pipe will never be applauded as I am advocating in this thread.
Nevertheless If the medical community was REALLY interested in human betterment, and patient care and outcome - if they really had a heart, and weren't in it just for the money, as I think most are (- call me jaded, but I've spent 10 yrs. teaching pre-med students, hoping to get into Med School, and I know the crowd) - why then, the AMA would seize this opportunity to save a hundred million lives by the conversion of cigarette smokers to pipe smokers.
What the Surgeon General should say, is look, if you gotta smoke, why not try a pipe instead of a pack of cigarettes. Non addictive, much more pleasurable, huge historical legacy to ponder, and cheaper to boot. A cob and a pouch of Capt. Black White and you're good to go. Not to mention the all the fun involved, once you get behind a steady paycheck, as we all know on this forum. If they can't cough up that simple truth than I for one have little faith in their ability to heal.
In terms of supply & demand, I'd expect the market to grow by leaps & bounds to accommodate the newpipe smokers. With regards to the limitations of briar, I'd leave that up to the industrial chemists to come up with s suitable alternative. I mean we used to ride around in horse drawn buggies right?