Secrets of the City

The thing I wonder is if anyone thought of this before passing the tax … fee… whatever.

haha i’m trying to convince myself i’m nuts for thinking pawlenty wanted it to go down all along

Here’s a key fact we hope won’t get lost in all the “inside politics” on this legal challenge: Minnesotans are trying to quit tobacco in record numbers, in part because of the higher cost. That’s why the American Lung Association of Minnesota supported the fee/tax/whatever, because this also happened in other states that raise tobacco prices. Youth smoking, in particular, goes down.

Could that be why Big Tobacco has their collective panties in a bunch? We think so — and we also think that political differences aside. the key figures in Minnesota’s next round with Big Tobacco will win one for the people again.

Robert Moffitt
Communications Director
American Lung Association of Minnesota

not to dis the quitters, but 228 people is hardly a ‘drove’ in my mind. The CTC lists 1,067,528 (as of 7/1/05) smokers in minnesota; taking no new smokers or smoker deaths into account, at the pace of 228 a week it would take over 90 years to get rid of the smoking population.

Slightly off topic, but where’s the love for Yecke?

We never dis the quitters (I’m one), cornejo, but do the math again…228 is the number from only one program (the Blues), MPAAT’s QUITPLAN counted 221, our computers at ALAMN have a temporary tracking clitch, but we have given out nearly our year’s supply of Freedom From Smoking brochures in past three weeks. Every major health plan has it’s own cessation program, all are reporting a big surge in requests.

Beleve me, this if for real. We are going to see a measurable drop in smoking in Minnesota.

Maybe this is totally obvious, but aren’t all of these pieces of “anti-smoking” legislation, whatever form they take — from banning smoking in bars, restaurants and public spaces, or raising the tax, or adding a fee — really about making it terribly inconvenient and/or too expensive for people to smoke and therefore making it easier for them to quit? My semi-un-educated guess is that big tobacco will either need to make a safe cigarette or will be totally out of business within 100 years (maybe it won’t even take that long.) And in the meantime I hope the gummint doesn’t attempt to ban cigarettes outright and create a whole new criminal class.

My guess is the QuitPlan program’s are gonna see a whole new batch of applicants once those pretty bar patios see their first Minnesota winter.

You are beginning to see the light, David, as are many smokers. They are not waiting for winter to quit — they are quitting NOW.

There is no such thing as a safe cigarette (or cigar, snuff, chew or waterpipe), so start unloading that Phillip Morris stock now, folks.

If you are really interested in this subject, do a Google search about once a month on “smoking ban.” See how many cities, counties, states and entire countries are now considering bans. Then watch what happens. Yes, some bans will be rejected, but most will become law. Watch for more counties in Minnesota to go smokefree, very soon.

These times, they are a changing, folks. The days of smoking indoors in workplaces like bars, restaurants and clubs are numbered. It won’t take 100 years. It won’t even take 50. At this rate, it will be finished in 10. Smoking will still be legal, but very expensive and only at home or outdoors or in your vehicles.

Hell, why not quit now?

Quitters never win. Smoking will always be cool. There’s a lot of money in tobacco. If people want it, the Govt. will tax it. If big tobacco builds it, they will come. The only thing inconvenient about smoking is freezing your ass off outside the bar with 30 other patrons in the middle of January for a nic fix. I wouldn’t be surprised if certain smoking bans are reversed at certain venues in the name of National Security. That, and a user “fee” for anyone wanting to download porno from the internet @ 99¢ per. Also, premature, smoking-related deaths (firsthand and otherwise) could ease the strain on a broken Social Security Administration. See, everybody wins.

Rex–I got so excited by the title thinking you were posting something about me. I’m sad and going to go have a smoke about it.

I sure am glad pot is illegal so they can’t tax it. I’m cancelling my NORML membership today!

Where was the Lung Association and the other similar nanny-state organizations when the state was raiding the funds the Tobacco Companies ALREADY provide the state for health and youth smoking prevention efforts?

MIA.

Where were they when the state, in effect, dissolved Target Market?

GONE.

Why? Because they are more hell bent on taking credit for their tiny role in the fight than in actually making anyones life better.

Smoking is a filthy habit, but it is a legal filthy habit. If the Lung Association wanted to be a true advocate for the health of all, they would call for an outright ban on tobacco products. But they can’t do that can they Bob? Nope, because government is also terribly addicted to tobacco and the revenue it brings in. And so, the Lung Association is willing to sit by in complicit agreement with the state’s idea that dead smokers are collateral damage in the overall budget process. Nice work Bob. You and your organization are really making a difference.

I don’t know where “Phil” was during the fight to maintain Target Market and the portion of Minnesota’s tobacco settlement, but ALAMN fought hard and long. We lost the battle, but are determined not to lose the war against tobacco.

By the way, Target Market was OUR program — they were our employees. Tiny role? Think again.

So, Target Market was a good program, as long as the government funded it and you just got to take credit for running it? Seems to me like you just made my point about ALAMN’s uselessness more succinctly then I ever could. Effective advocacy programs push for revolutionary changes under the hopes that someday they will be successful, even if that means ending the need for their own job. The Lung Association is apparently more interested in feathering the nests of the thousands of people whom have come to depend on it for employment then the billions of regular schlubs out here it claims to want to protect.

Bob, I have no problem with that. Greed often overpowers conscious. I just wish there was an organization in Minnesota that had the stones to stand up to Big Tobacco.

very interesting point of view