Pipe Smokers Should Be Concerned About New Cigarette Laws

[admin]

Us pipe smokers and cigar smokers better be damned well concerned about what’s going on in the anti-cigarette crusades.
http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/tobacco-policies-legislation/pipe-smokers-should-be-concerned-about-new-cigarette-laws/

 

[hilojohnny]

A good article, Kevin....much food-for-thought for all of us. If only the antis realized the dangerous slippery slope they are venturing onto..

 

[duncan]

I really hate the Anti's. I mean to the point of lashing out at the next little treehugging freak that says smoking kills. I will show them smoking doesn't kill but a freehand to the temple sure makes a big mark!

 

[greggors]

Well written and well thought out. Sadly a lot of what you said has already happened here in Canada. Tobacco here costs about 3x as what I've seen online in the USA, we have the absurd pictures on our tins of tobacco ( even on baggies when you buy in bulk ). Hopefully your able to stop the anti's before it's too late.

 

[pipetrucker]

Very good article. I agree that we, as tobacco enthusiasts should not in any way side with the nannies. They aren't targeting only cigarettes, but all forms of tobacco use. I despise all forms of tyranny in the name of "for our own good".
I have recently been re-reading Atlas Shrugged. I hadn't read it since college. With several more decades behind me now, and in light of what is happening around the globe, it seems even more poignant than ever. Anyone who is concerned about these absurd laws and hasn't read it certainly should make a point of it.

 

[collindow]

lol duncan-that's why I need a freehand.

As to the article, good job Kevin. I agree, but it is difficult not to villanize cig smokers sometimes. Like someone once told me when I was smoking: "if everyone smoked pipes there would be no anti-smoking laws."

 

[bubbadreier]

I just wish we could all do what we want with our personal lives without being judged.
Hell if you don't like my smoke, ask me to move and I probably will. Tell me I am killing myself and everyone around me, I am going to scoot closer to you!

 

[atwageman]

Unfortunatley many cigar and pipe smokers constantly fail to rap their heads around the simple fact that if it wasn't for cigarette companys demand for leaf, we pipe smokers would be screwed. If cigarettes are ever fully legislated out of existance in enough countries, I would say 90+% of tobacco growers world wide would have no interest in growing tobacco period. Its kind of scary to think about it.....

 

[puffintuff]

Good article. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse.

 

[unclearthur]

This kind of crap is EXACTLY why I am starting to grow my own tobacco.

 

[romeowood]

Took the words right out of my mouth, unclearthur. I've been growing some of my combustibles for a while; now it looks like I'll have to be prepared to grow all of my own. :puffpipe:
Reminds me of somethin' old steve used to say:

I take the seed from Colombia and Mexico

I plant it up the holler down Copperhead Road

Well the D.E.A.'s got a chopper in the air

I wake up screaming like I'm back over there

I learned a thing or two from ol' Charlie don't you know

You better stay away from Copperhead Road

 

[nativeson]

I believe in "follow the money". Someone is probably makeing money attacking smoking. I also believe in smug moralising. Someone is feeling mighty morally superior by having harsh laws passed aganst smokers. I also blame polititians for using the power of the state to threaten our rights, not support them, and to threatn employers, landlords,and bar and restaurant owners if they want to welcome smokers. But mostly I'm afraid for freedom. Being born means you're going to die. If you choose to do that which might make it happen sooner,isn't that your right? Playing sports can injure or kill. Loveing the wrong ladies can kill you deader than a doornail (and so can their husbands). That list can go on and on. Smokers can smoke and live long, productive lives, contribute thier fare share to society and pay lots and lots of taxes. It makes no sense to me, fellows, just no sense at all.

 

[directshot]

Treehuggers... if they would only stay in the trees when we cut them down. Problem is most of them wont take the ride all the way to the bottom.... unless there is enough money in it to make their ride (sorry.. their belief) solid enough to stick it.

Stay out of the Trees and out of my Life.... !!!! :crazy:

 

[strongirish]

The only way we are going to stop or slow this slide is to get involved politically and write and call our elected officials and keep up with what they act upon and vote accordingly.

 

[expatpipe]

Thank God I can listen to Rush Limbaugh online..

 

[jlee]

There will never be a problem with supply as long as there is demand. While rising taxes will kill folks at the margins the higher they go - or an outright ban - will push folks to acquire their leaf in a different manner. There are lots of examples of this today and in the past (see drug trade - prohibition - etc). Tobacco has a negative perception and as such it is easy to tax it as a penalty. It's unlikely that they would ever outright 'ban' tobacco - they will place taxes on it to make it virtually unobtainable (like some ammunition - or "high capacity" magazines). That way they can claim to not have actually 'banned' anything.
I think the global market for tobacco will keep it in supply. The trick will be how to find it... If you can learn to speak Mandarin you could tap into the huge Chinese market as it comes on-line as it becomes more and more sophisticated. We can look forward to pulling up to the 'back-yard' still or speak-easy for tobacco if it goes that far.
I feel for our beloved American tobacco companies though... they can't compete against the taxes(at least not legitimately). But the global trade in tobacco will keep tobacco growing and tobacco processed for cigarettes, cigars, hookas, and pipes somewhere. Consumers will find a way to obtain it. It's human nature. When markets detect regulation roadblocks they generally find a way around them.

 

[yoru]

My brtoher can get his hands on pot, coke, acid, and meth with ease in this town, as well as under-age alcohol. . .I think I'll be able to get my hands on tobacco if they ban it.
In the words of a wise man, and Lawrence's siggy heh heh.
"If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law." (Winston Churchill)
On a side note -- I'm okay with he giant warning label that says "smoking kills" -- The good old "Enlightened Tobacco Company" (which was quickly put out of business by Marlboro et al due to their oncoming troubles with litigation on stance at the time of "smoking is harmless") who made my favourite fags -- Black Death, had a pretty big warning on them just as a good business practice and fairness act. . . but also served as a self-evident argument " Lookit, these damned things will porbably kill me, but I like them and its my damned right to smoke them!" -- their papers (which one can still buy) still have "I like 'em and I'm going to smoke 'em" written on the package under the flap, and a skull and crossbones on the top.
http://www.cigarettepacks.ru/B/B2/black%20death.jpg here's a pic I found of the smae pack I have a few of. For those who don't speak German it says " The Health Minister : Smoking risks one's health." and it takes up about a third of the pack.
On the other hand I think cigarette companies should do this voluntarily, or at least make an announcement (which they have) and make sure everyone knows (and they do). A law requiring this may not be requiring anything unreasonable -- but making a law that goes beyond the necessities of "protecting" the people IS unreasonable.

 

[joeyfats]

Smoking doesn't kill lol,This can be pretty much proven.In fact activation of key genes may,"Improper methylation" may kill(cancer)

but smoking,NO,tell your doctor that next time you seem him,thats half the issue the antis have,they are not scientific at all!In my family there are several auto immune disease,mthfr mutation is involved in this which effects "methylation"or gene expression,acetylcholine signaling in the body and such.Won't bore any of you with the details but put it this way,Our medical system is pretty sad indeed.It relys often on what I like to call ignorant reductionism.For example,"smoking increases risk of ms"

Lmao people,what because it raises brain dopamine forcing the body to alter key pathways?and yes throw in a bunch of "unatural chemicals from tobacco thats is full of preseratives that would never been in the real stuff by nature and guess what"gene mutations..fun diseases effecting the nervous system...but the anti reductionists like to say..."oh look he smoked thats what gave him the ms"good grief people do your own homework,I personally have several friends that are in there 80's that are in damn good health.Smoked 35 years,drank at least a pint of vodka for 20 years and retired happily.I also have a friend that is 35 smoked till age 30 and quit,within two years was diagnosed with ms,His doctor blamed it partially on the smoking,Sadly these doctors are trained little in the feild of epigenetics,so instead of realizing that all the nerve pain and such is related to cellular methylcobalamin defficiencys and folate defficiencys.Basically imroper gene expression,they give it a fancy name and stick em on a drug to dull the nerve pain that will worsen over time.Stop blaming smoking people,Look at the core,the gene defect,fix the gene defect and stop blaming the external factors.Sheesh.

 

[joeyfats]

for more of a good time...http://www.forces.org/evidence/hamilton/other/oldest.htm,hell just ask around,and shoot investigate!Smoking kills my ass.My grandpa joe died at age 62,his lungs were shot,so growing up i had it drilled into me smoking killed him.Seemed reasonable enough,till you add up all the other factors doctors and so called anti experts like to ignore.Like the fact that My grandfather never left the house,sat on the couch watching tv everday chugging pepsi fighting with my grandmother all the time etc etc etc,in retrospect what killed my grandfather had little to do with smoking and more to do with chronic stress.seemingly little care for life and complete inactivity...compare this with my friend ron,drank heavy for years,smoked heavily and enjoyed life only health issue he has is mitral valve prolapse(a heart condition related directly to stress)point of all my ranting on this is gene activation due to negative beliefs plays a bigger role in any disease than any activity but we all know that don't we?

 

[markw4mms]

This kind of crap is EXACTLY why I am starting to grow my own tobacco.

I hear you Arthur, but you know if they have their way it'll be illegal to grow tobacco one day, and they'll search out tobacco fields to destroy just like they do with marijuana now.