Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs,alt.smokers,seattle.general
From: [s--ot--e] at [eskimo.com] (Scott Eckelman)
Subject: blowing smoke
Summary: Pro-tobacco arguments == pro-drug arguments
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 1994 10:47:05 GMT

I was channel surfing Sunday, and caught the last part of a program
called "The Compton Report" on KING 5, Seattle, the subject of which
was regulating tobacco/nicotine.  It was absolutely hilarious to
hear the pro-tobacco guy (Jim Althoff) going down the list of arguments
why tobacco should not be regulated by the FDA:

	- It's none of the government's business what one puts into one's
	  body, even if it's not good for one.
	
	- What one does in the privacy of one's home is no-one else's 
	  business.

	- Education, not government control, is the key to reducing
	  tobacco use among people.

	- No one wants children to have access.

	- "We've already tried Prohibition once, and that didn't work."

Even the anti-tobacco spokesperson (some woman from the Lung Association,
didn't catch her name) agreed with these arguments.  Her primary
focus was on second-hand smoke and keeping it away from non-smokers
and keeping tobacco products away from minors.

I mean it was word for word the same arguments we have been using
for years in the attempt to legalize other drugs.  The FDA's move
to possibly regulate nicotine is probably the best thing that's
happened to the pro-legalization movement in a long time.

Maybe they're finally catching on.  Apparently Jim Althoff has a radio
show on KING radio in Seattle, anyone know when it's on?  I've just
got to call in to pin him down about his stance on currently illegal drugs.


Scott E.