Well, I've been holding off on this, because I wanted to post something that wasn't just a string of expletives. On September 22nd, 2009, our great and wonderful government decided to outlaw my cigarettes. Needless to say, I'm not pleased.
First, some background information. I smoke, or rather, used to smoke, clove cigarettes. I am of legal age to do so, and never gave it a much more thought than that. Our elected idiots, however, decided that I shouldn't be allowed to smoke clove cigarettes, or any flavor other than regular and menthol. Why? To protect the children.
They claim flavored cigs appeal to kids. That's bullshit, but it sounds logical, so people believe it. Have a look at the
numbers that Congress didn't bother to check. Yes, those numbers come from the people who sell the product. Most of their (fully cited) sources are national and university studies.
Look, I know smoking is bad for me. I accept that, because I enjoyed the habit. Yes, that is past-tense. If I can't have the cigs I want, I'm not bothering. Back to the point...
Even if flavored cigs did appeal more to kids than regular, that would not justify a ban on their sale and importation. Apparently, when Congress starts thinking about the children, they also start thinking like children. Because if it might cause one child to start smoking, several million adults aren't allowed to have it. That's the sort of psychology that most of us got over in grade school.
I'll be honest, a total cigarette ban would have made more sense. Then kids definitely wouldn't get them. Of course, that would be a lot of tax money, and banning just the flavored cigs allows the government to pretend that it's doing something about the problem of kids smoking without harming tax revenue noticeably.
If I keep typing this will never end.
See ya.
