Why is it that alcohol and cigarettes are accepted as a normal part of our society in the U.S.?

Very simple question, not a simple answer.

Not at all.

It just itches that part of my mind how it's just so "normal" and "accepted" (not to all people, worth mentioning) that we as a society consume alcohol and cigarettes. How about the monolithic rabbit hole of big pharma?

I just don't understand it. Even here on ATS, we have little beer mugs and I read quite often about other members "having a drink to that," but before you jump the gun - relax, I don't mind at all, I am not here to tell anyone how or how not they should live their lives.

But there's something that's always struck me in comparison. Look at marijuana. How political correct do we have to be about a plant? As far as I'm concerned, plants don't have the ability to speak so this plant is not offending anyone.

So, what am I getting it, exactly?

You see, alcohol and tobacco are everywhere. Every gas station has advertisements. I don't watch much television besides Netflix, but when I do I see a lot of alcohol advertisements with half-naked women, celebrities, sports cars, it's just maddening.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to pull a quick search of some articles about alcholol and its correlation with anger, irrationality - not to mention drunk driving accidents, and we all know the term "alcoholic" too well, because many of us unfortunately have had people close to us succumb to such an empty label. But it happens. All. The. Time.

So why is it so accepted? We KNOW that it impairs driving, yet we literally have establishments open that entire purpose is to drive to, just to drink! (I'm aware that many people are responsible enough to know their limit or a call a cab/ride with someone else if need be).

And cigarettes, really? Does this really even NEED to be explained? The fact they are legal, blows my mind - but again, I am not one to tell you how to live your life NOR do I think I should dictate what you can/can't do - so smoke up, I did. Quitting was liberating to say the least. The risks are outright on the packaging, and there are some seriously nasty conditions that can come from long-time smoking, but again, this is "normal."

Maybe even if these things are detrimental to our health, we are collective "responsible" enough to indulge in these actions, so that's why our overlords have made them legal. Well, why not marijuana? (For sake of discussion, the industrial use of hemp isn't a main point, which anyone who has done a bit of reading knows that economics plays a massive role in its illegality).

It's not advertised like cigarettes/alcohol.
It's really not as bad as either.
Alcohol and cigarettes, which are responsible for far, far too many deaths every year, are completely legal.

So why?

Why are alcohol and cigarettes so socially acceptable?

I was just recently attending fireworks for the fourth. The ratio of people smoking versus non-smoking was about even, but the stench was there, even out in the open.

Only in America. Children run around drinking Coca-Cola while mom and dad blow clouds of carcinogenic chemicals right into the area that not only their children, but other children and people are at.

Okay, so the "THIS IS MURKA! defense has gotten old, and to tell to show some respect means I'm PC, I just ask to be represented the same.

By society.

By the law.

Just like you are.

You can drive out to bars and drink.
You can drink out in public.
You can drink in your own home.
I've known people to drink while at work.
It's been shown to lead to physical, and mental abuse, and that's just the tip of that iceberg.
But this - this is "normal."

You can smoke cigarettes.
At work.
At home.
In your car.
Many smoke around their children, friends, and family who smoke.
If you have not read about or know the serious health effects of cigarettes, well you either don't know or don't care.
But again - this is normal.

So I ask you.
Why is marijuana the exact opposite?

Why can't you just leave it alone? Let people live their lives?

"It's for safety!"

Dude, if it were safety alcohol/cigarettes would be gone. Period.

"It's a gateway drug!"

Which one(s) is advertised constantly on television, radio, and billboards?

"It's so the kids don't get hooked on the pot!"

Read some of the 20,000 peer-reviewed journals versus the few hundred or maybe thousand on some prescription narcotics.

"It's about the moral fibre of our country! Drugs are bad!"

Yeah? Yeah they are. So are guns. So are cars. So is LIFE. As Ted Cruz said, Americas "darkest hour" was when gay marriage was nationally legalized.

THAT, folks, was the darkest hour of our country.

Unbelievable.

It's like we live in Naziville 2.0. People don't even want other people to be able to be married and happy because they are too busy preaching their beliefs hatred.

When is enough, enough?

Police breaking into medicinal marijuana dispensaries, harassing the CUSTOMERS, DESTROYING CAMERAS, and STEALING AND CONSUMING THE VERY THING THEY WENT THERE FOR.

It is madness!

(This turned into a rant, I apologize).

It just ticks me off.

There is no logical reason as to why alcohol and cigarettes are not only legal, but socially accepted and glamorized, compared to why marijuana is so publicly demonized and those who may smoke are seen to be some sort of... Family killing mass murderer, as Nancy Grace would say.

It's just so, so stupid, and this horse has detoriated by now.

So ATS. I ask you, why?

Just, why?

i think the people who are against legalizing weed must have never smoked weed in their life, otherwise they would realize that it is definately not as impairing/life ruining as alcohol. but i also think there are very wealthy lobbyists for both alcohol and tobacco that don't want to see weed legalized because it will compete with their market.

a reply to: RomeByFire

Simple answer.

Money.

In order to understand it you have to look at its history. We have been guzzling down brew and wine for thousands of years. Beer and wine was safer to drink then water. When cigarettes wear first marketed the public thought they wear safe because the company's lied. Imagine if the public knew the true effects of cigarettes when they first started to effectively market them. Addiction sells, it sells it self. I think these anti cigarette campaigns have made a big dent in the industry, we will eventually come to our senses but its going to take time because there are so many of us.

You cant be mad at the past its not going to change any a thing. Focus on the future. BIG steps are being made to make marijuana legal. It will be soon and its going to change the way we view drugs.

originally posted by: Ksihkehe
a reply to: RomeByFire

Simple answer.

Money.

Pretty much what i was going to say, it all boils down to money, the whole world revolves around money (not the Sun ). Plus anyone can grow it, actually they would probably legalise it at some point and make it illegal to grow so the government's can then profit.

Taxes! Pretty much show the politicians how to make money and it will be legal and promoted. The problem with Cannabis is it is a weed and can grow easily across the US. Since you don't need farms, the corporations can't own it. Just wait till Monsanto genetically re-engineers it to have various flavors and effects! The seeds will be patented and voila, you will see it legalized en mass.


(had to do it since OP mentioned it)

Its very obvious that if cigarettes were only invented today they would be banned immediately.

Now they are just a big cash cow for taxation, they will never be banned.

Freedom! First principal of the universe and heavens! Equality is the second, love, compassion. Those 2 in all the minor chords, and major riffs, is what its all about.

I think it is human... and even animals like to have some substance taking you a little out ( or in ) reality.

Just take a tribe in the middle of the amazon, or Indonesia...
They all have some kind of Alcohol, smoke or other substance to enjoy live.

The only thing weird is that we do not search for the best...en least harmful way to go on a tripp.

Big Corporate ties(tobacco for ex.) and the adverting of them that changes culture to have people hooked.

Tax revenue.- Thus why there's the supported tax legislation with legalizing marijuana.

Sorry OP, after some wine tonight, I'm the reason why alcohol is part of the norm.

Without it, I'd most likely be homeless and single. This stuff helps...and I didn't attend a seminar or spend $59.99 on some DVDs.

I've fallen in love with cabernet franc.

I'm on day 25 of not smoking and I would beg to disagree that smoking is "accepted". Smokers are the one true group of people that it's almost encouraged to publicly shame. I can't tell you how many times I've had a complete stranger on the street say "you know that's going to kill you don't you?" Or have someone walk by and passive aggressively start coughing and giving me a stink eye. Keep in mind I was one of those smokers who would go out of his way to find some spot that wasn't in a direct line of traffic of people and if someone did happen to walk by and I had just taken a puff, I would hold it in. I can't tell you what I would give to go up to an overweight person at McDonalds and say "you know that's going to kill you don't you?" But then again if I did that I'd be engaging in fat shaming which is apparently the same as siding with Hitler to some people. End rant.

a reply to: rollinondubs

i too have been shamed in public for smoking cigarettes, while standing in a designated smoking area a woman actually walked up and said "cigarettes should be illegal, you shouldn't be allowed to poison everyone with your smoke" OH WOW would i love to walk up to a fat person at mcdonalds and shame them...lol.

a reply to: RomeByFire

Alcohol has been socially acceptable for a long time, in part due to the social-ness involved in it's consumption, simple as that. Pubs, bars, taverns, cafe's, etc from the old country to our country, and it's been a part of our social culture (at least here in the US) practically since people first arrived. It's been engrained (pun not intended) in our culture from the start. They banned alcohol once, if you recall, and that didn't go over so well. And now, as others have so rightly stated it's a money issue. Both the government and private business (from brewers/distilleries to bars/restaurants/grocers) make TONS of money from it.

As far as marijuana, well, people have been obviously been using it for thousands of years as well, but the reason it hasn't been as accepted is it's been largely underground. When it *did* start to become more well know it was demonized and a who propaganda campaign was set up against it (in the 20s & 30s) that pretty solidified its status as a demon drug used by hispanic immigrants and blacks to demonize *them* as well by making them crazy and a threat to contemporary (white) society. See also Reefer Madness, the film.

That said, I believe that one reason drugs such as that and other psychotropic drugs have been banned is because it wakes people up, and TPTB don't like that. Period. Alcohol placates, to a degree, and it more like video games and reality TV and being asleep, where weed is like reading a book and waking up, so to speak. The government wants people to stay asleep; and even though they could make a killing in taxes (see Colorado), the still make a killing by putting people through the (court) system and locking them up. I would also go as far as to say that whereas alcohol is more a social drug, weed is more of a personal drug (even though people use in social settings, the experience is much more personal).

Plus, you can drink a beer and not get drunk but you can take a few hits and you're automatically high (tolerance depending on both), so there's that stigma as well.

As far as tobacco, once again it's money. Cigarettes are probably one of the absolute worst things out there, but the lobby and the taxes (and marketing and nicotine dependence/addiction) keep it widely used and available.

So basically, because I have been known to indulge in a random hard cider in the evening with my supper at home ... I will be the downfall of society, and if I try to defend it I am basically some kind of 'Murka screaming Redneck? Nice!

Step off, bigot.

It's even been shown that a single glass of red wine on occasion has health benefits because of the resveratrol.

I'm not going to blast smokers either. I don't like the habit, and I've never indulged. But if people want to do it. Then they are going to do it. Eric Garner basically died in New York because of attitudes like yours. Cigarettes become so heavily taxed to punish people who smoke that it become profitable for him to sell siglets and that directly led to the police interaction that killed him.

If people want to kill themselves, what business is it of yours? If they smoke outside where the smoke goes elsewhere, what business is it of yours? If they smoke in their own homes, what business is it of yours?

Who appointed you Grand Poobah of everybody else's lives and health?

originally posted by: Ksihkehe
a reply to: RomeByFire

Simple answer.

Money.

Alcohol has also been a major part of U.S history, a lot more than people think.
Pretty much all founding fathers had a winery or distillery, grog cider was the main choice of beverage for farmers and workers, and at one time 1 out of 3 men in the U.S before prohibition would drink something like 350 bottles of whiskey a year.
Alcohol made the U.S economy that is it today, it's the reason for income taxes, the bar scene, night life, big German company's and rich families, the list can go on.
And, as you said, money. Alcohol has been regulated so much and refined down to an almost art, weed cannot be done so, everyone can grow a plant in their house, not everyone can brew a batch of beer or still some gin.

First off, everyone looks really cool when they smoke. And that's the important thing, looking cool.

Now if you are smoking AND you have a drink in our hand? Then you are twice as swag and all the babes will really dig you and want to like, hang out with you.

My avatar says it all.

a reply to: RomeByFire

But there's something that's always struck me in comparison. Look at marijuana. How political correct do we have to be about a plant? As far as I'm concerned, plants don't have the ability to speak so this plant is not offending anyone.

Uh, you do know how cigarettes, beer, and forms of liquor are made, and from what they are made? Seems to me you are interested in having what you want, but to hell with what everybody else wants. Forget you.

originally posted by: angeldoll
a reply to: RomeByFire

But there's something that's always struck me in comparison. Look at marijuana. How political correct do we have to be about a plant? As far as I'm concerned, plants don't have the ability to speak so this plant is not offending anyone.

Uh, you do know how cigarettes, beer, and forms of liquor are made, and from what they are made? Seems to me you are interested in having what you want, but to hell with what everybody else wants. Forget you.

You should really learn to re-read.

Seriously, man - I said it at least one time that I have no intentions of telling people what and what they can't do.

I couldn't care less what people want - but they should be allowed to do it.

Try reading the entire post before cherry-picking at something so you can play victim.

Cheers.

originally posted by: ketsuko
So basically, because I have been known to indulge in a random hard cider in the evening with my supper at home ... I will be the downfall of society, and if I try to defend it I am basically some kind of 'Murka screaming Redneck? Nice!

Step off, bigot.

It's even been shown that a single glass of red wine on occasion has health benefits because of the resveratrol.

I'm not going to blast smokers either. I don't like the habit, and I've never indulged. But if people want to do it. Then they are going to do it. Eric Garner basically died in New York because of attitudes like yours. Cigarettes become so heavily taxed to punish people who smoke that it become profitable for him to sell siglets and that directly led to the police interaction that killed him.

If people want to kill themselves, what business is it of yours? If they smoke outside where the smoke goes elsewhere, what business is it of yours? If they smoke in their own homes, what business is it of yours?

Who appointed you Grand Poobah of everybody else's lives and health?

Again, learn to re-read, or read from that matter.

Drink away, brother.

I said more than once that I believe people should be allowed to do what they please, ESPECIALLY in your own home!

Seriously re-read my post, you are so defensive and angry and I don't know why.

I also don't believe you understand what a bigot is or how to use in context, as I have no quarrel with others drinking nor smoking as I've mentioned, again - why are you so defensive?

How did my attitude, or an attitude like mine, lead to Eric Garners death? He was selling untaxed cigarettes. Are you saying that having a certain attitude warrants the death penalty?

You were born about 50 to 60 years too late to join the Nazi regime I'm afraid