• Possibly cigarettes, but probably never a ban on alcohol. It's been used since the dark ages and every society has had to have a way to relax and "let off steam."
  • I don't think that they will ever be banned as they each have too strong of a lobby with congress etc ... However; I do believe that they will continue to see increased Taxes causing some users to cut back and / or quit.
  • No, for one thing that is off-set by the taxes they bring in, and I don't think any government would be brave enough to try, if they wanted to remain in power.
  • I would love to see it but it will take a lot of re-eduation to teach people that the common good should take precedence of personal license (oh, sorry, I meant freedoms.)
  • I think they should be very heavily taxed and every bit of this tax money should go to the health care industry.None of the tax,not a penny,should be spent on any other programs.This tax itself would cover a great deal of nationalized health care.
  • IT USED TO BE ILLEGAL in the 50's... and it used to be trafficked like TODAY'S DRUGS, so.... in other words, I RATHER HAVE THEM BAN ALCOHOL (30.000 deaths/yr.) and Cigarretes (thousands dying from cancer.)... AND LEGALIZE MARIJUANA (ZERO proven death rate.) Its about time people !!
  • I hope so, people need their lives lengthened. How else will they work 70 hour weeks?
  • No they tried alcohol once and it didnt go very well.
  • If society progresses, things like that wont be banned, they will just be frowned upon and people will know better than to use them. Less rules, more wise decision making.
  • I have often wondered about that. Look at the amount of tax paid on each packet of fags - can the govt afford the drop in income? Example: A man smokes 20 fags a day for 40 years. A pack = £5, or which £4 is tax. That means that he is paying £1460 per year in tax. Over 40 years, he has paid : £58400. By the time he needs health care due to smoking, he has effectively already paid for it. Now, if only 100 less people stop smoking, that is £5840000 less in taxes, and yet those people will all live longer, placing a greater burden on public spending through state retirement pensions etc. So, in my opinion, it is cheaper to encourage people to smoke if they want to, to increase tax revenue and decrease spending!
  • too much lobyist money from the companies to ever let this happen on a national level.
  • the revenue from taxes and what not is too high to ever see the last of them, in my opinion. why do you think something else is most likely going to be legalized? I highly doubt they care about the health effects of anything, so long as it gives them bigger wallets.
  • It won't happen. The alcohol and tobacco industries are too big. And the governments would lose too much tax income. First thing to be banned would need to be fast foods.
  • I wish it happen but,I'm not seeing that happen with people running wild after those stuffs and having breakfast,lunch and dinner with those stuffs. .
  • Don't forget ice cream for those overweight! [knock-knock-knock-knock! Freezer check!] ;-)
  • No the government cares about $$$$$..... they don't care if somebody is dieing of lung cancer or liver failure...
  • does the govt really need another reason to lock up individuals? alcohol and tobacco is a big department in the govt...add to that guns. banning weapons for health care reasons makes sense.
  • I don't know about where you are.. but the tax from cigarettes and alcohol pretty much pays for the NHS here. If it wasn't for people buying these products, health care would cost an absolute bomb in terms of income tax etc. The money raised through taxing them more than covers the health problems that smokers and drinkers may want to get treatment for later down the line. So no... that won't be the reason, if it happens. Governments love it because they make so much off the back of it. It doesn't lose.
  • No because all the governments across the world gets lots of tax revenue from them, So i doubt it +5
  • I think this has nothing to do with health care of people. Should we ban pork, of junk food because of that. Also, it's not the tobacco that is causing health problems, but filters and components they put in tobacco. What has a glass of good red home made wine with health care. It's all about the politics, big money transactions, getting rich, and adjustment of suitable law for rich business man. And that's the reason they will never succeed to ban alcohol or cigarettes, or anything. People are sometimes like sheep's, they go in the way you tell them, but when they feel they don't have anywhere to go, they will run, they will revolt you, or they will simply stop to produce milk. Banning something is not the solution whether is that cigarettes, alcohol, junk food, addictive medications, guns,... The real answer is why is somebody, (government), taking money from producing that same things.
  • no, they will never ban tobacco b/c the gov makes hella cash off the taxing of it. they will however continue to tax it and tax it and tax it and tax it (and so on)
  • I doubt it. They bring in too much revenue. However, doctors may refuse to treat patients with cigarette and alcohol related illnesses.
  • I think that cigarettes will eventually be banned. Right now they are the only legal drug in our country so I think they'll eventually go the same way all other drugs have gone. All it needs at this point is some public outrage to get the ball rolling. I don't think alcohol will ever be completely banned. It's an ingrained part of human culture and has even made its way into religious ceremonies. Not to mention that we learned that a lot of bad things can raise up if it's made illegal. Prohibition made a lot of wealthy criminals and I don't think we need a repeat of that. Not to mention that homemade wine is beyond easy to make yourself.
  • Insurers might ban people who smoke and drink from a policy, but too much money is passing hands for that to happen.
  • I doubt it. If it was really profitable, governments would do it long time ago. Those guys wouldn't give up their elegant lifestyles for the sake of their nations. Ever. People's mistakes make a great source of income for the government of all levels. People park improperly, neglect traffic rules, commit crime, acts of self-distraction, such as smoking and drinking - all this costs them huge money, paid in fines and taxes. Government collects them, pays some part for health care, again, imposing income taxes from those who work in health system and supporting industry and so on. Money turnover is designed very carefully in order to provide a great income for the powers that be. Look at the way they live and picture will become very clear.
  • Usually, economic pressure is employed upon the consumer in lieu of actual banning. In countries with universal single payer healthcare, sin taxes can make alcohol and tobacco products impractical for everyone except the hardcore user and the revenue is used in the healthcare system to take care of the lungers and sclerotic livers. So, people are still free to slowly and expensively kill themselves, but it just takes more of their own personal funds to do it -- and the added expense is collected as sin taxes to help defray their related medical care costs when they finally succumb to the typically longterm alcohol and tobacco related illnesses down the road. Some countries, such as Sweden, will even subsidize low-fat and healthier foods to make them cheaper in the stores than unhealthier foods, and therefore they are more attractive to the consumer, especially those in the lower income categories who are more likely to have more children in poorer health. This is precisely the opposite in the States. Sweden's healthcare ministry estimated that up to 25% of their hospital beds were taken up by people with ailments related to tobacco and alcohol product use in the early 1980s. Today, this is significantly reduced and so is the usage, lowering their overall healthcare costs.
  • Doubtful. The manufacturers' lobby is too powerful.

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