ANSWERS: 35
  • Big Big Tax Dollars .
  • because the government will lose too much money. when really if they thought about it they are advertising telling people to stop smoking and then theres all the people in hospital who are being treated from drink and smoke related problems. in the long run they would probably save money if they banned them
  • Because any government than made them illegal would NEVER get back into office again. Also there is the amount of tax paid on them, thats got to come from somewhere.
  • "hear, hear!" You tell em Stewie!
  • because federal and state governments make millions of tax dollars from them!!!!! not to mention all the perks that the politicians receive from the alcohol and tobacco companies and their lobbyists....
  • Because people have the right to ruin their lives if they want to. In the United States, more lives are ruined by fatty foods and poor diet than either alcohol and drugs. That's why coronary heart disease is the number one killer in America.
  • Trying to outlaw them would never succeed - Prohibition was a nigtmare, it lead to illegal bootlegging and a huge mob influence.
  • American laws are designed to protect society as a whole, not the individual. Thus, only conduct that affects others is subject to regulation. Now you are probably thinking that all conduct in some way affects others? This is true. That is why our laws follow a rule of reciprocity. Conduct that is common and affects society more or less equally is tolerated more than conduct that harms (or risks harm to) some of society more than others. For example, each year there are hundreds of thousands of people who get bitten by someone else's dog, yet we don't restrict dog ownership, nor do we restrict people taking their dogs in public. The reason for this is because dog ownership is extremely common, and the liklihood of any person being harmed is roughly equal to the chance of anybody else (i.e. the owner) of being harmed. It should also be noted that their is a "degree of harm element" that I am not discussing here. That is, something extremely dangerous, but common, is still subject to regulation. On the other hand, ferrit's are illegal in many states, and heavily regulated in others. Why? Because it is uncommon to own them, and becasue the chance of harm is not reciprical. How does this apply to nicotine (actually smoking)? Well, it was once believed that smoking was not harmful, and thus it was common. However, you will notice that many counties around the country have all but banned smoking in public places. Since it is now known that smoking causes harm to others, and that smoking is not a reciprial activity, it is now in the process of being banned. On the other hand, smoking in the privacy of your own home poses no risk of harm to others, and thus is not subject to regulation. Also, banning smoking is difficult because those who smoke are addicted. It is hard to ban something that was legal for so many years when addiction is involved. What about alcohol? Well, the above analysis does not apply. On the surface, alcohol only harms the individual, and thus is not subject to prohibition. However, drinking and driving does cause harm to others, so alcohol is subject to regulation. Also, giving the overwhelming danger of this activity (drinking and driving is a leading cause of death in America), it certainly should be banned. So why is it not banned? Well, the reason why alcohol is not banned is because it would take a Constitutional amendment to do so. The 21st amendment prevents the federal government from banning alcohol like it does other drugs. Why don't states or local municipalities ban alcohol? A few do (not states, but counties), and some states restrict alcohol sales to state run stores. However, most states won't ban it because it generates tremendous amounts of tax revenue.
  • Many things are bad for you and ruin lives, but some people defend thier right to use them (chocolate, gambling, Trans fats, Car racing, gyms, TV, the list goes on and on) My counter question would be, why are such less harmful things still illegal?
  • Fast food, video games, television, pollution, cell phone use while driving, and countless other things are also ruining peoples lives... Seems like making everything illegal isn't always the best way to fix a problem... For instance not everyone who smokes or drinks neccessarily has a problem or a diminished quality of life because of it... Maybe education should be a bigger focus to problem-solving in this day and age...
  • Alcohol isn't a problem for some people. Some people can have one drink, or even a half a glass of wine and walk away from it. As long as there are people like this I don't think alcohol should be illegal. Now cigarettes, on the other hand, are horrible. Horrible, horrible, horrible. I wish they could be done away with but I don't see how, realistically.
  • alcohol isn't a problem for most people..however I imagine that tobacco is legal is because the big tobacco makers have money that talks to governments.
  • Read:taxes ;)
  • Alcohol and cigarettes are not illegal because the government makes billions a year from the sale of these 'drugs'... If one notices, the government only allows things to be legal when it benefits them!
  • well they should be so many teens are getting oral cancer from chewing and i am pissed when i learn that a parent purchased the stuff for their kid ...
  • To be honest, I don't know. If you ask me, they SHOULD be. The only problem with outlawing alcohol and tobacco is that so many people are (physically) addicted to them, and if you suddenly forbid an addict their chemical, they can get incredibly sick. When my mom quit smoking, she had HORRIBLE withdrawals, and when my stepdad quit drinking, he was hallucinating and having tremors. It would be a massive impact on society for hundreds of thousands of nicotine addicts (and a number of alcoholics) to suddenly be detoxing all at once. So it'll never be done.
  • In some countries smoking is banned but in most is allowed because the government earns a lot of money from taxes
  • The people who make the money of it are too rich and powerful.. So the government is too afraid too do anything about it.. (and the government is also making a killing of it with all the taxes on it.. atleast in my country..) I`m a smoker myself and i do not totally agree with you in your statement, i don`t think smoking is ruining my life or any others i have heard of..
  • It would turn law abiding citizens into criminals and we can't have that ;)
  • Its America you can basically do what ever you want with heavy consequence's tho
  • BECAUSE THE GOVERMENT GET'S MONY OFF OF THE SALE'S OF THEM. ANYTHING THE GOVERMENT RECEIVES MONEY ON IS LEGAL
  • These (admittedly harmful) products are heavily taxed. Making them illegal (or taxing them too much) would add to the flow of drug trafficking, and undoubtedly increase yet further the enormous US prison population, which already costs more annually than is spent on education.
  • Alcohol and Nicotine are drugs but they are't illegal it is only b'coz of its extremely growth in users and sales by which government gains revenue on a large scale. if government states it illlegal they have to loose this revenue even if it is banned the users won't be able to avoid consuming it which results in black marketing just like narcotic drugs.
  • I do not understand why cigarettes are legal. They cause illness, death and they STINK! They are highly addictive--the government should provide free care for those who want to quit--like with any other addictive drug. Personally, I see no purpose for them. It's illegal to smoke in just about every public place now--why are they still legal? Alcohol should stay legal (LOL). Prohibition didn't stop anyone from drinking... my family made a LOT of money during prohibition.
  • Its Culturley acceptable to be a social drinker(drunk) and the smoking industry has deep roots in a countries economy and establishment of capitalist gains outweigh the health costs associated with the deseases loss of life and addiction created by allowing tax revenue to be up to 70%or whateva of selling price placed by governments because of the owness and risk placed on citizens who are marketed to consume the drug's.
  • Most drugs arent illegal. We all take them everyday, prescriptions and over the counter medications, most of which have drugs in them.
  • It would cripple the goverments pocket book and population control!!!!!! Instead the goverment would rather destroy lives of people with addictions that was frist and foremost supported by the goverment. It is easy to destroy one persons life than to take money from the polititions and MADD. Have you ever noticed it is not the goverment changing the laws and writing laws that are clearly unconstitutional it is MADD. Something is wrong when lobyists can write laws that destroy American people, and the goverment allows it. Once again it is money nothing more since MADD pumps a ton of money into the goverment. You don't see them attacking the very products that destroy everyones life!!! I have one question for the MADD org. If you have ever had one or two drinks in your life and got behind the wheel then you are a drunk driver!!!! Most all Americans are guilty of drunk driving they just never got caught!!!! So how can people in a oganization against DUI can sit there knowing they are as guilty as most amreicans and can sit there and destroy the lives of millions of Americans. Instead of helping people with their addictions they just want to destroy it so the goverment and them can make billions of dollars from drugs that are just that Drugs!!!!. Wake up America we need to help people not destroy their lives. Lets start promoting breaking addiction not breaking human lives, this is America not some third world country. We are all created equal and not one person has the authority to condem a person for their addictions when it is supplied and supported by your very goverment!!!
  • Cars ruin lives, why aren't they illegal? Just because something is legal or illegal doesn't mean you don't have to be responsable for your self. Does the government have to hold your hand?
  • becuse the giant corporations that make them lobby the heck out of washington and keep their already fat pockets lined with $$$$$$ they get to do so...oh and of course there's taxes taxes taxes on it too! just fyi caffiene is the most lethal drug and most widespread abused on in existence and look how much it gets pushed!
  • cuz of 1 simple reason..... "IT's GOOD TO BE WITHOUT VICES, BUT NOT GOOD TO BE WITHOUT TEMPTATIONS!!" :)
  • Alcohol is deeply ingrained in European culture. We have bonded over and used alcohol to great extent for thousands of years, trying to ban it just doesn't work. The 20's is a wonderful example of this. Cigarettes are a much simpler product to explain. Go to anybody who hasn't smoked in a few hours and really wants a cigarette. Wait till they are about to smoke, and then destroy their cigarettes. The unholy beating you receive is exactly why we can't ban tobacco. The addicts would rise as one and start killing people to suck the trace amounts of nicotine from their skin and hair.
  • As long as there is money to be made, nothing will change. Besides, don't people have a choice to consume or not consume? Yeah, tell that to the 12 year old kid on drugs. Some choice, huh!
  • Because some people actually have the discipline to not have it ruin their lives.
  • Money for the Company and the High Taxes that the Government receives. It's a profit for the Government.
  • Because the Government has control over their sales and makes so much money in the Taxes from the sales. Nicotine is more addicting then Crack but that is part of the reason it is legal. More people become addicted and buy more cigarettes and the Government gets the taxes.

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