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Can Prohibition work?

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R1Geezer | 15:59 Fri 15th Jan 2010 | News
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It seems Finland are intending to take steps to erradicate smoking by 2020. Obviously various anti smoking measures will be put into force but ultimately if they are going to erradicate it they must be considering making it illegalat some point. Can prohibition work? Will the rest of Europe follow suit? Please try not to turn this into a pro/anti smoking row about taxation etc yada yada! I'm interested in the process and effect of attempting this.
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I certainly can't imagine the French going for it.........I am a smoker but believe education rather than prohibition is the way forward.
When I started smoking in 1960 it was the in thing......I'm so pleased my daughter doesn't smoke.....
I think this government has taken some important steps to cut out smoking. Through prohibition education and the ban on advertising the number smoking has reduced considerably. In spite of this far too many teenagers are being addicted to the weed. Even gruesome images on cigarette packets have not deterred them. Pricing does not seem to work. Young mothers seem to be the most guilty causing the baby untold damage and irreparable harm.

The older generation are beyond help. The younger generation on benefits should have them replaced with vouchers only allowing them to purchase certain items not cigarette related. I believe they did this with asylum seekers by issueing them with vouchers.
More about the scheme for vouchers

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4811422.stm
did prohibition work in america ,
in this country there is a big black market of cigs and tobacco from other eu countries being sold so no tax goes to brown.
some of the tobacco is snide but if you are on a low wage what do you do.
pay £6-50 ish to a bloke in the pub or £12-85 in the local shop.

when America had prohibition it did not stop the sale of booze

http://www.essortment...hibitionamer_refo.htm
No need to go for a full ban as in this country cigarette smokers are gradually being ostracized.

First there was no smoking at work, then on buses and trains, then in restaurants, then in pubs, and so on. There are less and less places to smoke, and those that want to smoke have to go out of their way to have a puff.

Most of the pathetic smokers still left now have to huddle round doorways outside their work or pub, in the dark or the rain, so gradually they must wonder if it is worth it.

And as there are now LESS smokers, the smell of cigarettes on clothes now stands out so people who DO smoke have hair and clothes that stink of cigarettes.

Youngsters will always smoke as they think it is "grown up" and makes them look big.

Hopefully as smokers are seen more and more as a bit "strange" even youngsters will give up (or not take it up).
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When prohibition was the law in the USA more alcohol was consumed in those years than in any similar period either before or since. Prohibition does not work, humans have always, and always will want to partake of mind altering substances. Until someone finds a way to substatially the human brain (perhaps turning us into robots possibly), then making these substances illegal is going to be a waste of time and create a criminal underworld which will control them - alcohol - mafia during prohibition - gangs - drugs now.
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"Most of the pathetic smokers still left now have to huddle round doorways outside their work or pub, in the dark or the rain, so gradually they must wonder if it is worth it"......Well where I live smokers tend to stay in on a friday night till late ,young and old and take turns drinking at there freinds houses until 11pm and then go to the pubs for lock ins where you can smoke and drink till the early hours.One guy I know, turned his shed into a pub.Most smokers DONT go to the pubs as they use to. hence pubs closing down.Most town centres are like ghost towns during the week.
on health grounds surely this is sensible

lets have the full nanny state though

a ban also on cream cakes, kebabs and the like

oh, and alcohol of course!

didnt the united states try that once?
Slightly off topic, I have heard various representatives of the drinks industry on TV etc commenting how the smoking ban, the duty on alcohol and restrictions on live entertainment etc are causing pubs to close at x per week.
I live in Edinburgh and I have not seen and am not aware of any pubs closing for any reason. How realistic is this claim?
there are many public houses closing and have been now for a number of years. actualy the same can be said for petrol stations as they find their profits plumiting due to increased taxes and more efficent vehicles.
the public houses closing is happening widely in england , not so sure about wales scotland and ireland . however there does seem to be the added point of trends.
a lot of the public houses which cater for families and include food on their menu do appear to be fairing much better.


as for the original question , Prohibition has been tried of hundreds of years on many different things from religion to alcohol in many countries accross the world . To be honest i think it just the controlling governments / royalty of those countries trying to control by force public opnion and trends. it to my knowledge has never succefully worked 100% , and has caused much resentment from the public during its periods.

However taxing being used as a form of prohibition has had a marked success , " with teh exception of cheeper imports and smuggling ". The UK public houses have felt the brunt of this when boarder controls were dropped with teh opening of teh channel tunnel as did the tobacco industry , along with this public opnion regarding smoking has on the whole changed and people who used to or never smoked seem more inclined than ever to voice an opnion where only a few did before.


thats my view anyway
No amount of legislation will keep people away from the things they love.
That said prohibition is needed on some things, and the law enforced, so to answer your question, yes.
S_C

"there are many public houses closing and have been now for a number of years.

Where?
west midlands and west yorkshire . are two prime examples
Vinny is quite right.....I have no intention of huddling smoking anywhere....I have not been in a pub since the smoking ban, but if anything my social life has improved.....
I think a lot of people are missing the point here, if they totally ban smoking what ever happened to the peoples fundamental human right of freedom of choice? if they do
ban it somebody should challenge it in the court of human rights
(and just for the record I am a non smoker myself, but believe in freedom)
for scotman
http://news.sky.com/s...rticle/20080311307985

if you want to come down and have a car i will show you where at least 9 pubs and 2 clubs have closed down all within 10 minute drive from my house.
the nearest pub to me is dead during the week . talk is that this pub may close soon

how many of the people who want smoking banned would like a ban on all alcoholl sales in ths country ?
secsee..how about the "Human Rights" the individual not to be exposed to smoke during eating and working?

R1Geezer wants this thread not to be turned into a smoking/non smoking thread.

My opinion is that prohibition would not work, for all the reasons given above.

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