A couple of years ago I went to Amsterdam for a long weekend to see friends. It was quite strange (at the time) being able to smoke in public places and bars after having endured the total ban on smoking in public places in the UK where I live, for the previous year.
What was a real eye opener was sitting in one of Amsterdam's 'Coffee Shops' watching everyone around me smoking. I was the odd one out because I was smoking tobacco!
Holland has now joined many other European countries and banned smoking in public places too. What I find strange is that the 'Coffee Shops' still operate as they did before the ban. And the really strange thing is that you could be prosecuted for smoking tobacco in these places but not cannabis.
Less than 1% of the revenue gained from tobacco is spent on smoking related diseases in the UK, and with an estimated total revenue of £700 billion, do you honestly believe the Government are going to bring in prohibition? The revenue in the US must be absolutely phenomenal in comparison.
If they do bring in prohibition, where will they get the shortfall from? And do the anti-tobacco lobbyists realise that they will be paying for that in the long run through increases in tax on something else?
Why is it that a politician whilst looking to the future, totally disregards the pitfalls and mistakes of the past? Prohibition in the US between 1920 and 1933 caused more problems than it solved.
Some may say they already have looked at the problem and are in the process of increasing taxes on tobacco so much that people stop buying it because they can't afford it. Thereby, tobacco use dies out and no laws or prohibition was used to do so... very clever.
Right, I've had my rant. I'm off now to research hydroponic farming, how to reinforce my attic floor and the best types of tobacco plants to grow in the UK!