Stop the killing, ban tobacco

Arizona Daily Wildcat Andrew Benjamin

Tobacco should be outlawed today. And not just for today, but forever in America. Tobacco is a deadly, noxious, addicting substance that has no redeeming value in our society whatsoever. Tobacco products kill, on average, 400,000 of our friends, neighbors , and family members each year. That's 8 million people every 20 years.

The Ligget Group, which makes Chesterfield cigarettes, came out with documents last year that show the tobacco companies purposely tried to get Americans addicted to their product to increase revenues.

A year later, a group of ten-thousand flight attendants are filing a class action suit in North Carolina claiming that second hand smoke on flights made them prone to smoking related illnesses. This comes behind a Food and Drug Administration study which gives conclusive evidence that second-hand smoke is toxic.

Joe Camel has just been banned. This, after pandering to our kids to get them thinking that smoking is cool. Don't talk to strangers Billy, and don't forget your Joe Camel backpack.

Tobacco has even changed our government, with major "contributions" given to our politicians to sway them towards the tobacco companies' agendas.

The tobacco companies have been waging war on the American public for more than six decades. They are responsible for putting out a product with deadly side effects, while also targeting uninformed consumers. What can we do? What can we do to fight this h uge killing machine called tobacco?

Outlaw tobacco, once and for all.

There are those who will say that the black market we create by outlawing tobacco will produce deadlier cigarettes because their product standards aren't as high. Remember, legal cigarettes cause roughly 400,000 deaths a year. How much more dangerous can they get?

Finally, there is the issue of our kids. How much longer are we going to let tobacco companies put our kids on the slow road to death? I say, at the very least ban tobacco to show our kids what we really think of this vile, disgusting habit.

No doubt, some readers think I'm on a pretty high horse. But I like a good cigar. The taste and the ritual appeal to me. However, if the choice is between letting this addictive death knell continue, or giving up all tobacco products forever, then I welco me the ban with open arms. How about you?

Andrew Benjamin is a senior majoring in American Literature