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Obama signs strongest anti-smoking bill ever

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Yes,President Obama, time to clean up British and American tobacco business affect on the global people.

Strategic offense reduction against nicotine substance, should start,just like any other offense reduction activities.

These kind of activities via smoking, bring down USA.

Same should be done for all other substance abuse activities.

Bring back the shine in USA,be more pro-health in all activities.

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"He promised his wife, Michelle, more than two years ago that he would quit if she let him seek the White House"

Another broken promise! Ha ha ha!

Seriously, I applaud this move.

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Woah woah woah, I like my stogies the way they are in all their noxious glory.

One key provision in the new law bans candy-flavored cigarettes and the use of other flavored smokes that might appeal to teenagers.

I'm an Arturo Fuente man myself but my brother loves swisher sweets and the last thing the world needs is my brother jonesing for a cherry cigar...

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Haha, yeah sure Obama's quit!

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I read that the US Armed Forces were allowed to smoke in Iraq during the heavy fighting b/c it helped reduce combat stress and lack of rest - was the news report complete?

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Good move this one. Both getting people off their nicotine habit and stopping others from starting can only be good news both in terms of personal health and the overall health of the population. Now if the CinC can only quit himself it would be quite an achievement.

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smoking is disgusting. He needs to quit. the next time he goes the Mid East, he needs to get down on them for this too, they smoke waaaaay too much.

And put in place some very heavy fines for smoking in public.

give the tobacco farmers some type of cash and let them create another business or find something else that tabacco can be used for.

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Yet another huge success for the democrats to protect the non-smoking majority for the nicotine addicted losers who continue to smoke despite all the ills smoking causes.

Hopefully the FDA will reduce the amount of nicotine and other addictive ingredients in marlboro and help those that cannot help themselves to eventually quit smoking.

This has been a long battle, started under the Clinton presidency, and of course sidelined by bush and his band of idiots. Its great that Obama is Pres now and real change can go forward in this and so many other areas.

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Obama should just make us smoke Japanese cigarettes like JT's "MINE" or how about "ECHO" brand ?

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I smoked for 34 years. Took me forever I thought to quit. So I don't pass judgement. But maybe it'll help those in the future not smoke cigarettes.

But I do understand those who do smoke and chew tobacco. I did love it. < :-)

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Monkey see, Monkey do:

Best thing (as a role model) would be for Obama not to smoke -but addictions are irrational. -aren't they?

Smoking in the U.S. Is on the down with prices on the up ($5-10 a pack -ouch!!)

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adaydream: So I don't pass judgement.

...unless they're a republican.

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zurcronium

This has been a long battle, started under the Clinton presidency...

Are you sure? I recall Bubba being quite the cigar aficionado, especially of Gurhka cigars; or was it Monica that was fond of them?... : )

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He should look into doing some swedish snus instead. Much less unhealthy and has been known as a good way for people to stop smoking.

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Helter Skelter you are absolutely right.

I smoked cigarettes, so I don't pass judgement on Obama's smoking or capability of stopping. It took me years to stop smoking tobacco. < :-)

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For anyone's information, bush actively opposed this legislation.

Great to see it's taken a real president who sticks up for Americans to pass it.

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Hypocrite. ok fior him but not for others. all those who quit after many years, what exactly is the point? To live a few years longer?

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Quitting smoking takes decisiveness and strength of character. It's no wonder Obama can't quit.

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Cheers for taking a positive step forward in the fight against tobacco smoking and its aid to help reduce addiction numbers and healthy lungs in generations to come.

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As I sometimes jokingly say: Quitting smoking is easy - I do it all the time. Obama is like the majority of smokers. He knows it is bad, he knows it grabs the young and holds them for life, he hates the ashtrays, the smell on his hands and in his clothes. Yet when you are craving for a ciggie not much smells better then someones smoke drifting your way and you really want maybe just a couple off puffs. Difference is Obama can make change. If, for example I was US president, or better still ruler of the world, I would ban all tobbacco products outright.

After stashing away a couple of emergency cartons.

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Good move by Obama, yet again. That he is up to condemning something he has done/still sometimes does is a great thing, and shows that he is human. I'm sure there are some Ensign-esque Republicans who joke like sarge did ("Another broken promise -- haha!), but are dead serious in their accusations, but those people would glaringly obvious in their foolishness, as usual.

Anyway, I can't see the big deal about quitting. Did it myself on the drop of a dime years ago, never slipped once and never will. And that was after quite a number of years smoking. But, that's the reality for most addicts of anything, be it caffeine or other 'drugs'; easier said than done, and many struggle to accomplish their goals.

My only concern is the reliability of the FDA. They're occasionally as bad as the USDA, and probably as open to bribes/threats. Sure, they now CAN make open the contents of what's in tobacco and choose to put less harmful substances in there, but will they?

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There should be smoke free neighbourhoods! All government office should be smoke free, and that doesn't mean the typical smokers can just outside next to the steps with a roof.

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Yet another sign that when candidate Obama spoke about change, he meant it. :-)

As I mentioned earlier, Bush opposed this legislation that actually helps prevent Americans from getting costly diseases and that works to slash associated healthcare costs borne by taxpayers.

But Bush and the Republicans never did have Americans' best interests at heart.

No, this thread is not about Bush, but I just found the contrast in positions of the current and former presidents very interesting indeed. :-)

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The underlying irony of all this is, on the West Coast, health care services were good from the taxes of abundent sales of tobacco and liquor. W/ those revenues shrinking to nothing, they had to go for gas taxes (political suicide). The states would be in a better situation if smoking and partying ran amok, especially health care - sooooooooo ironic.

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Where I'm from, smoking is banned in all workplaces, pubs, schools, indoor meeting places, restaurants and cafes, and the only places you can buy a pack of fags is - or should I say, was - in a pub.

And there are no tobacco vending machines.

Some would decry this as a sign of an overbearing State, but I just feel thankful that I can go anywhere and not have to breathe some inconsiderate twit's second hand smoke.

Hands down - that's awesome. :-)

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He is so well-spoken!

" I’ve been chewing Nicorette strenuously. "

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Yet another "Do as I say, not as I do" from Obama.

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President Obama pushes through the most positive tobacco legislation ever and Republicans still moan.

Let's not forget the guy they backed opposed the passing of this legislation that helps safeguard the lives of, among others.....Republicans.

Republicans really don't need anyone to help them look pathetic. :-)

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I hate cigarettes. Even more than I hate cigarettes I hate people who will not stop at violating people's rights trying to get rid of the things. People smoking outside is fine. People smoking in their own house is fine. People smoking at establishments catering to smokers is fine.

Do I care what candy flavors they add to tobacco? Only if the additives are harmful to the health. And they are putting a whole bunch of additives in cigarettes that are dangerous to health every day, and have been for decades. The government has business regulating that. They do not have business regulating flavors.

Americans have clearly lost sight of what freedom means.

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skipthesong, your smokefree neighborhoods... you talking about people not allowed to smoke in their own homes? < :-)

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The underlying irony of all this is, on the West Coast, health care services were good from the taxes of abundent sales of tobacco and liquor. W/ those revenues shrinking to nothing, they had to go for gas taxes (political suicide). The states would be in a better situation if smoking and partying ran amok, especially health care - sooooooooo ironic.

apecNetworks good points. I am not a smoker, and I agree that it can be bad for you, but this will definately cause a dent in a lot of state taxes. Earlier this year, Obama signed (on Apr 1 I guess the April Fool's joke is on those smokers who voted for him) a law that raised the Federal Tax on a pack of cigs from .67 to $1.01. If you were a smoker, you basically saw a tax increase of $30/month or $360/year (assuming a pack a day habit, if you smoked more, obivously it would cost you more). This hidden tax will hit those the most in the lower income brackets since they will have to pay that, in addition to local and state "sin taxes" that are going up as local governments try to find more revenue sources. So they are going to tax themselves out of income since it is getting where a person can't afford a pack, and I guess next they will have to go after something else to find tax revenue.

Don't get me wrong, I think this is a good move, but I think it is just going to be felt elsewhere when state governments find new ways to make up for the loss revenue. Stopping kids from smoking is fine, but if an adult is aware of the consequences, then I say let them smoke if they want. Just make sure it is in their designated smoking areas.

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Reminds me of what my father used to say when I was a kid and I was mad at him for saying it. "Don't do as I do,do as I say."

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Alphaape when I smoked I used to get upset at how they raised taxes on the "SIN" items, tobacco and alcohol.

I never understood why they didn't raise taxes on "Fat Foods", etc. < :-)

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To Alphaape:

Actually, I am talking in the past tense, not about something that may happen. The business model I am discussing has already occurred. It has already resulted in hidden inflation, practiced widespread (check any particular state). I looked at this issue when European Governments were resisting zero tolerance of second hand smoke from the US. Taxes leading to inflation.

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The "net result" is, everyone is healthier, but poorer. ;)

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I doubt seriously that even now the revenue generated in taxes by governments in the US come even remotely come close to capturing the huge costs to the medical system caused by tobacco to smokers and those around them when they smoke. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer in the US now and contributes to heart disease which is the leading cause of death.

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zurcronium, I did just a rough guess on what taxes could possibly be generated from cigarette taxes. Just looking at the Fed tax of $1.01/pack; 1 month would get the Feds $30.3/month and $363/year from one smoker. Multiply this by an estimate of 20 million smokers (just guessing there are probably more than that) and you get the Feds about $7.2 billion/year. That's just if each of those person I am guessing is just a single pack a day smoker, if they smoke more, then obviously it would go up.

So, there is a lot of money that is generated on cigarette taxes, which I see will probably be the next thing that the Feds will be after those who traffic in them illegally, and that the Indians will move cigarette sales on their reservations and casinos to the fore front more so than gambling in the near future to capture that market.

At least I can say that since I am not a smoker, Obama did keep his promise to me to not raise my taxes (well at least my income tax) since I am not a smoker.

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