Drinking vs Smoking

I’ve just had a very interesting conversation. I climbed onto my normal soap box about smoking and drinking. I have very particular views regarding this.

I am referring specifically to the warning messages on cigarette boxes and the laws around smoking in public places. I by no means say that smoking is a good thing or that the way things are at the moment are a bad thing. I just simply feel that drinking/alcohol should be much higher on the list of concerns than cigarette.

You don’t hear about a multiple car pile up on the highway because someone was smoking and driving. You don’t hear about someone dying in a car accident because of a smoking driver. You don’t hear of family murders where the person had a smoking problem and had a few too many cigarettes that day. You don’t hear a young child whisper that Daddy smokes too much and then hits Mommy.

Again, I totally agree with the current laws around smoking but surely the same laws should be applied to alcohol. Put warning labels on all the bottles. We’re not allowed to call it the Rothmanns July or the Gunston 500 but yet we have the Castle Test Series. Can someone explain the difference to me?

I strongly feel that the laws and restrictions should be the same as far as alcohol and tobacco are concerned. In my view alcohol is far more damaging than tobacco. Yes, both are extremely harmful to your body but I mean on a social level. Car accidents, murders, bar fights, domestic abuse, animal abuse – alcohol abuse can lead to this.

I did a simple google search and found these two links. Take a read if you’re interested and decide for yourself. Something that was very interesting for me was the different types of death linked to alcohol that was not “self inflicted” – which to me is what smoking is to a large degree.

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/homework/a/blfacts.htm

http://quitsmoking.about.com/cs/antismoking/a/statistics.htm

So, just to make things clear. I support the tobacco laws 100%. I know smoking is bad for you and I think the way things stand now are good. BUT – for me – alcohol is much worse. I really believe that the same rules (or as close as) should apply.

Just my opinion….