I don't understand

[gemfyre]

Cross posted to anti_smoking.

From the Wiki article on snuff.

Oral snuff, in the form of dipping tobacco and snus is banned from all countries of the European Union, except Sweden and Norway, where the sale of snuff is legal.

WHY? That doesn't make any sense. Snuff affects no-one but the imbiber. Lit cigarettes/cigars/pipes/hookahs effect everyone in the vicinity, whether they want to be affected or not.

*bangs head on wall*

Why don't tobacco companies heavily market these smokeless alternatives? It would make everyone much happier. Those that don't want to inhale smoke wouldn't have reason to bitch all the time and worry about the health effects of passive smoking, and smokers/nicotine addicts could have their drug fix without bugging everyone around them and having to deal with the subsequent bitching.

Comments

[miwasatoshi.livejournal.com]

One of my good friends dips snuff. It's ... messy. Lots of spittle involved -- he has a spit cup that he carries around for when he spits out the tobacco (because you can't ingest it). At least he doesn't spit it on the ground like most.

That may be some of the rationale behind the ban -- it's really not much more sanitary than smoking. :/

By the way -- smoking is illegal in almost all businesses in my local area. It's rather nice to go to karaoke bars and bowling alleys and not have to smell like cigarettes. Of course, exceptions granted for tobacco shops, hookah bars, et cetera.

And I don't give a damn what people do at home, so that the line where property rights trumps public health (because it isn't in public anymore, now, is it?).

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

If I had to choose between risking lung cancer, heck, even just having a sore throat, and a bit of mess I know what I'd choose.

Smoking is illegal in most indoor public places here too, but you have to run the gauntlet of smokers puffing away as close to the door as possible, and smoke drifts inside open pubs (or at least the ones I frequent), so it kinda defeats the purpose. Also if you're walking down the street outside you'll randomly get hit with a mouthful of smoke due to some smoker wandering the other way.

Smoking on your own property, okay, lowers the value of your property but whatever. But I used to sit inside my house eating breakfast, with the door open to let "fresh" air in, and if the neighbour was smoking in his backyard, I'd cop it! Where do MY rights to NOT smoke come in there?

[alias_sqbr]

Doesn't snuff give you mouth cancer? I think there's no healthy way to consume tobacco (whether or not snuff is still better than cigarettes I can't say)

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

It's not the nicotine addict's health I'm worried about. If they want to give themselves cancer, they can knock themselves out. I however don't want to be exposed to their carcinogens.

[alias_sqbr]

Ah. In that context your comments make perfect sense :)

[shirazz.livejournal.com]

I'm a big fan of those little pouches of tobacco you whack on your gums. Good for a night out at dinner so you don't have to duck outside all the time or when visiting non smoking friends.