It is not my intention to advocate smoking on this page... especially among those who are underage. I do not believe it to be a non-addictive habit... there are simply too many people who find smoking nearly impossible to kick for me to believe that. Nor do I believe it to be harmless, because, logically, the inhaling of a large quantity of any foreign substance, directly into the lungs, would almost certainly have to cause some degree of damage. It's been reported that a non-smoking resident of Los Angeles has a 'pack-a-day' habit just breathing the air in that city.

So just what is the purpose of this page?

Put simply, I am here to 'soapbox' my belief that smoking has become the latest addition in a long, and ever growing, list of government targets that threatens to eliminate the basic freedoms set forth in our Constitution. I believe we have ample laws, already on the books, to curb, if not end entirley, the sale and procurrment of tobbacco products by minors. (Realistically speaking, there will never be a law that stops everyone from breaking it... no matter what law we're talking about. There will always be those who bend, break or circumvent the rules!) I believe that the United States Government is employing 'Nazi-style' scare tactics, under the premise of public health, to pass laws which are blatently discriminatory and unconstitutional and that they have no intentions of stopping with the issue of smoking. Perhaps if someone were to tell you that the government encourages the use of children in their anti-smoking campagin... would that bother you? There's no way to accurately predict which product, or segment of our population, will have the dubious honor of being their next target, but if the current assult on tobacco proves as successful as they are hoping, you'd better believe they won't stop there. If left un-checked, I believe the current administration, as well as those in the future, will systematically strip us of our God-given, and Constitutionally guarenteed, rights... until we haven't any left. The factsbeing withheld by our government about such things as 'the effects of second-hand smoke' should be enough to make most people sit up and take notice. So why hasn't it? Is it because this particular attack wasn't aimed at you so you're going to just sit quietly by until they make it personal? It may be too late by then! Who will stand up to defend your rights if you don't stand up in defence of their's?

All of the anti-smoking laws passed in the past decade have had only one thing in common... and it isn't public welfare. Nor were they designed to curtail underaged smoking! It's all about money! Generating more tax dollars to waste on the already 'pork-filled' pet projects of our elected officials. Does the phrase, "Taxation without representation!" ring any bells?

Questions:

1)What does smoking have to do with after-school programs?

2)Should cigarette taxes be used to fund such programs or might that not in fact encourage more children to smoke, since they would know that their wonderful new facilities were funded through the benovelence of a group of concerned people who cared enough to smoke so they could reap the benefits?

3)If smokers are asked to pay more in taxes than non-smokers, in order to pay for these new programs, would only the children of smokers be allowed to participate in them?

(Hey, don't take my word for it! Unlike the federal government, or the liberal-biased media, I encourage you to check it out for yourself. I got my information from an Associated Press release I found on the front page of the Tri-Valley Herald dated October 18, 1997.)

In California the law says I can't smoke in my own home if someone comes in to do any kind of work for me or if I conduct any business from it. California is also the home of the city (Davis) that imposes a $1000 fine if you get caught smoking in your own car... even if you're just driving through! California... the state that recently added bars to their ever growing list of places that have been ordered to ban smoking... even those new 'Cigar Bars' that were opened for the express purpose of giving smokers a place to congregate. This ban comes complete with governmental inspections to see if the (bar) owners are properly displaying and pointing out the 'No Smoking' signs to each and every one of their customers, and to ensure there are no ashtrays anywhere on the premises. California... the state that wants to elliminate smoking in all public places. Public places? I'd like to know just when bars became public places? I've never heard of any bar that's owned and opperated by the public... or by any Federal, State, or local governmant, for that matter. Have you? Aren't bars privately owned businesses? (Click here for an article on the effect this law is already having on bars, their owners and employees.)To add insult to injury the California Department of Health has recently begun running ads on television urging people to support their latest assult on smokers and they're paying for this expensive air-time with the revenue generated from... you guessed it... the ever-growing tobacco sales tax! Smokers, in California, are literally being forced to pay to give up their rights! For the purpose of imposing these segregative taxes, California recognizes tobacco to be a legal substance. They want you to buy them so they have more money to spend... but they don't want you to smoke them anywhere! Does anyone but me view this as being extremely hypocritical? If they truly believe smoking to be as bad as they claim how could they, in good conscience, continue to reek such an enormous profit from it and still be able to sleep at night?
Another great bastian of democratic freedom and American libetry is Mesa Arizona... the, self-proclaimed, non-smoking city.

PS Have you heard the latest? They now have a new 'junk food' tax... since "they" feel only "they" can determine what IS and IS NOT good for you, "they" have decided to put an extra tax on anything "they" feel is BAD for you- aren't "they" wonderful? Since you aren't smart enough to make that determination for yourself, "they" will make it for you! How sweet! Right? WRONG!! Ask yourself: what does paying extra (in the form of a mandatory TAX) for our 'junk food' supposed to accomplish???

National Smokers Alliance
Philip Morris (New Website)
Mike Banks "Smoking Permitted"

Soapbox