Jump to full article: Burbank (CA) Leader, 2009-06-20
Author: Billie Barron
Intro: In Robert Phipps' letter ("Smoking arguments are absurd, laughable," June 13) responding to Armineh Hovanesian's community commentary ("Anti-smoking campaign is just that," June 6), I think he missed the point.
. . .
The proponents of the anti-smoking campaign are winning ground every day in their noble efforts to protect us from ourselves. . . .
California lawmakers in Sacramento are considering an additional increase from 87 cents to $1.50 per pack. This would generate more than a billion dollars a year for the state coffers.
In a state with a deficit budget bordering bankruptcy, that's a lot of "second-hand" smoke that keeps a floundering state slightly above water. . . .
If we could imagine a ban on the sale of tobacco products, how will the lawmakers propose to replace that lost revenue? . . .
But the bottom line is that it is difficult to ban a "behavior" in spite of how detrimental it may be without also banning the very "delivery system" that produces the negative behavior. Even with increasing restrictions, without legislation that makes the sale or use of tobacco illegal, "lighting up" will continue to be profitable.
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