Get real 10's of thousands die each year from drug related issues.
According to the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency, 105,000 Americans die annually from alcohol-related causes which could include everything from falls to drunk driving accidents to cirrhosis of the liver.
There are 365,000 tobacco-related deaths in the U.S. each year.
There were 19,102 Deaths From Drug-Induced Causes in 1999 (legal and illegal drugs) (CDC).
I think we need to recriminalize alcohol, and criminalize tobacco to avoid the harm associated with these dangerous substances and to avoid hypocrisy. I mean, shouldn't all dangerous drugs be outlawed and not just those that are less popular? Since I personally knew 3 people who died alcohol-related deaths, including cirrhosis, I can personally speak for the danger from alcohol. Of course, obesity kills even more than tobacco or alcohol, so banning McDonalds and enforcing mandatory exercise classes before work like they have in North Korea should be enforced with criminal penalties for those who abstain. I'm sure y'all (or at least Bodhi) will agree with me on such a common sense thing.
Ah well, time to pour myself a black and tan and get ready to mow the lawn.
Charon
