xiconic t1_j9vjb9a wrote on February 24, 2023 at 9:28 PM

Reply to comment by NPVT in Daily use of marijuana raises risk of heart disease, study finds by TheDodoBird

In the UK cigarettes and rolling tobacco are sold in a horrible dark green packet that isn't allowed to have any branding, only health messages like "smoking kills" and such and are also taxed at an insane rate. But I always argue that if tobacco gets treated this way then why can I still walk down the alcohol aisle of a store and see all the bright coloured branding on that? Alcohol can kill you much much faster than smoking and can cause much more harm to others than second hand smoke. If I can buy a relatively inexpensive alcohol with brightly coloured branding all over it to pickle my liver with, why can't I buy a cheap packet of cigarettes with clear branding to know its the ones I want so that I can relax after a stressful day?

PEVEI t1_j9vkl23 wrote on February 24, 2023 at 9:36 PM

The short answer is that alcohol has been part of the accepted culture since the dawn of writing, whereas tobacco was a relatively recent import from the 'New World' for non-indigenous people. There is also the relatively recent lesson in the failure of alcohol prohibition which is deeply ingrained in Western culture.

None of this should be taken as an argument in favor of drinking, I just wanted to offer some context for contemporary attitudes, which aren't shaped by accurate risk assessment; few human policies and attitudes are shaped by accurate risk assessment.