Taking the Handle off the Pump

[admin]

There has been some discussion recently on the PM forum about how "soon" is soon for tobacco tax hikes through the roof ...
Here's something from Fred Brown on that -
Taking the Handle off the Pump

 

[hfearly]

Seems to happen every 100 years or so.
We will see 50 years of tobacco being outlawed and then it will come back as a legal source of taxes for another 50 years, before it gets outlawed again. Like it always has been, and always will be.
Look at the history of tobacco legislation between 1575 when it was first discovered as an ailment to various illnesses and popularized in France, Italy, Spain and Britain, over the anti-smoking crusade that happened around 1600-1650, to making it legal again in 1650, only to forbid it again around 1700, to legalize it again 1780, to outlaw it until 1848, to legalize it until 1980, and now we are outlawing again.
"C'est la vie!"

 

[misterlowercase]

...not to forget about the Nazi regime who spearheaded the postmodern return toward tobacco restrictions, only better illustrating the sad picture of Big State Control gone mad. All the current anti-tobacco activists should be reminded that their drive to police the citizens in the name of public health safety shouldn't fool themselves into thinking their actions are noble pursuits, nay, their mania is ordinary ugly fascism.
The Nazi anti-tobacco campaign included banning smoking in trams, buses and city trains,promoting health education,limiting cigarette rations in the Wehrmacht, organizing medical lectures for soldiers, and raising the tobacco tax. The National Socialists also imposed restrictions on tobacco advertising and smoking in public spaces, and regulated restaurants and coffeehouses. Ridiculing anti-tobacco activists was also outlawed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-tobacco_movement_in_Nazi_Germany

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[misterlowercase]

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[05venturer]

The Nazi anti-tobacco campaign included banning smoking in trams, buses and city trains,promoting health education,limiting cigarette rations in the Wehrmacht, organizing medical lectures for soldiers, and raising the tobacco tax. The National Socialists also imposed restrictions on tobacco advertising and smoking in public spaces, and regulated restaurants and coffeehouses. Ridiculing anti-tobacco activists was also outlawed.

seems quite familiar to me here in the good ol' USA.