Stogie News: Nearly Half of Americans Support Tobacco Prohibition

A survey to be released today finds that nearly half of Americans would support a complete federal prohibition on cigarettes. The poll, conducted by Zogby International and commissioned by the Drug Policy Alliance, sampled 1,200 Americans.

According to the survey, 45 percent said “they would support federal legislation making cigarettes illegal in five to ten years.” According to Zogby’s website, such a sample size would generate a margin of error less than +/- 3 percent.

Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of DPA, issued the following statement about the survey’s shocking results:

The number of Americans who support criminalizing cigarette smokers is shocking. The question is not if cigarette smoking is dangerous and leads to premature death – as surely, it is and does. The question is how to best address cigarette smoking as a public health problem. Based on history and current policies, we know that prohibition often leads to devastating consequences.

The full Zogby poll will be available at www.DrugPolicy.org following an 11:30 AM teleconference.

Stogie Guys Analysis

Traditionally, anti-tobacco activists have “justified” restrictions on smoking on the basis of protecting third parties from “second hand smoke,” even if that means misleading the public and exaggerating such harms. In one recent instance, a Minnesota anti-smoking group laughably claimed in a press release that “Just 30 seconds of exposure can make coronary artery function of nonsmokers indistinguishable from smokers.”

Yet this study shows that anti-smoking zealots may be dangerously close to having the public support for their real, though rarely publicly-stated, goal of complete tobacco prohibition. This goal is evident when smoking bans don’t even have exemptions for cigar bars and retailers.

Also, cigar smokers should take little solace in the fact that the survey only specifically mentions “cigarettes.” Because of the massive lobbying power of cigarette companies compared to cigar companies, there should be little doubt that any federal legislation banning cigarettes that could actually pass Congress would also include cigars and pipes, just as local and state level bans have.

Hopefully this study serves as a wake up call for cigar smokers to stand up with cigarette smokers for individual choice and personal responsibility. If not, anti-smoking Nazis could force smoking into “tobacco speakeasies” and the criminal underworld, like alcohol during prohibition.

-Patrick S