this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2026
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[–] Willy@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 months ago

Cool. Now ban everything else potentially harmful.

[–] warm@kbin.earth 8 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Good on the UK... for once...

It seems the minimum age will slowly increase, basically meaning anyone under 18 now and anyone born in the future will be unable to smoke cigarettes.

There will be the classic "black market hurr durr" people like when other drugs were banned, but evidence always shows it's better overall.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)

So the idea is that we want to legalize marijuana because its totally unreasonable for the government to tell us what we can put in our body, but also ban tobacco because "its bad." Is that about the size of it?

[–] warm@kbin.earth 2 points 2 months ago

Both are bad for you. Ideally the UK would spend on education and people would just choose themselves not to smoke, but I guess they would rather ban it and keep the population dumb.

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Tobacco is considerably worse.

In any case, this doesn't appear to criminalize possession, which is the usual sticking point for people against drug prohibition.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Tobacco is considerably worse.

That isn't really a claim you can make without support of any kind.

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Not a single source in that article actually quantifies the difference that you just described as "significant". Want to try again? Or do you just want to admit that you said a thing that seemed like it was true and then googled it for the first time when I asked you to?

I think the main point here is: why does this matter even if its true?

Either the state is in charge of forcing you not to buy things that are unhealthy or it isn't. If it is then there is no reason not to also ban Marijuana for the same reason even if it is "less bad" than tobacco. No one is arguing that its good for you. Why not bad refined sugar and caffein and thousands of other things that are bad for you?

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Not a single source in that article actually quantifies the difference that you just described as “significant”. Want to try again? Or do you just want to admit that you said a thing that seemed like it was true and then googled it for the first time when I asked you to?

Holy fucking shit, did you not read even the first three paragraphs of the link

For example, federally funded research at the University of California, Los Angeles compared the lifetime risk of lung cancer among more than 2,000 long-term marijuana smokers, tobacco smokers, and non-smokers.

Investigators determined that those who regularly smoked cigarettes possessed a 20-fold higher lung cancer risk than non-smokers. Those who only smoked marijuana had no elevated risk.

Either the state is in charge of forcing you not to buy things that are unhealthy or it isn’t. If it is then there is no reason not to also ban Marijuana for the same reason even if it is “less bad” than tobacco. No one is arguing that its good for you. Why not bad refined sugar and caffein and thousands of other things that are bad for you?

You're absolutely right, time to abolish the FDA and go back to heroin cough syrup over-the-counter.

Imagine having such a childishly boolean view of the world.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Holy fucking shit, did you not read even the first three paragraphs of the link

Do you know what the word "quantify" means? Maybe look it up before you reply?

You’re absolutely right, time to abolish the FDA and go back to heroin cough syrup over-the-counter.

You know that the UK doesn't have the "FDA" right?

Imagine having such a childishly boolean view of the world.

Hilarious perspective from a person that forgot what country we are talking about.

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Do you know what the word “quantify” means? Maybe look it up before you reply?

express or measure the quantity of:

20-fold higher

You know that the UK doesn’t have the “FDA” right?

I'm sorry that you don't understand that, when arguing from principle, the principle can be applied to various real-world examples to demonstrate absurdity? Your argument was explicitly about "the state", conceptually, not Britain specifically.

Since your own grasp on the English language is tenuous, considering your Dunning-Kruger moment above, I think this conversation is over.

[–] FireXtol@piefed.social 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

*unable to legally purchase

They will continue to smoke and vape. I guarantee it. Their activity will simply be criminalized. Which isn't good for anyone.

The evidence shows people will find a way and prohibitions aren't effect and mostly results in inferior and sometimes dangerous product being sold in place of what should be highly regulated and consistent.

[–] Lj404333@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Exactly and would just be another product to continue the drug dealer child profit mill

[–] warm@kbin.earth 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Existing people will, but making something harder to get will reduce smokers. It will also fade out of culture through the generations.

Why do people always think it has to be immediate benefits or none at all?

[–] FireXtol@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago

Harder to legally get*

That doesn't actually make it harder to get...

[–] CultuurMarxist@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

Here comes the black market

[–] Bassman27@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

Big W for corner shops across the uk now they can sell cigarettes without tax

[–] manuremy@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Is the ban also on vapes, e-cigs, snus and nicotine pouches etc? Or only for cigarettes? Either way, the black market will work out for the people who want to use these products.

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Just gonna say there miiiight be an article somewhere that answers your questions

[–] manuremy@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Usually articles block me so I was being lazy lol

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 2 points 2 months ago

Ha! Fair enough. That happens to me too

[–] Whirling_Ashandarei@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

I'm sure prohibition will work this time!

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago

I just keep thinking about like two friends with birthdays on either side of the line. Sure the one will buy for the other but not without giving him shit every time.