Pubdate: Sun, 13 May 2001
Source: Queensland Sunday Mail (Australia)
Copyright: News Limited 2000
Contact:  GPO Box 130 BRISBANE, QLD 4001
Fax: (07) 3666 6692
Website: http://www.thesundaymail.com.au/
Author: Lyndon Smith
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

PASSIVE SMOKING WORSE THAN HEROIN

THE recent payout to a bar attendant for cancer caused by passive smoking 
only makes the stand on drugs harder to understand.

Many people have a jaundiced, illogical view of drug addicts, even going so 
far as to consider them ``dirty drug-taking scum''.

But consider two drug addicts in the act of taking their drugs - one harms 
only themself and the other inflicts potential death and suffering on 
others with seemingly not a care in the world.

Of course, the latter is a cigarette smoker, while the former is an illegal 
drug user.

A heroin user hurts no one else - in fact almost falls asleep, but a smoker 
at a bar is knowingly inflicting second hand smoke on non-smokers.

It's prohibition that causes the crime from illegal drugs - why not 
legalise them and then the only ``dirty druggies'' will be the tobacco and 
alcohol drug users and we'd all be better off.

Lyndon Smith
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MAP posted-by: GD