ROOTED IN PROHIBITION

Re: "Contraband boosts teen smoking" Sept. 8: Regular smokes are taxed so
high, they are practically prohibited, hence the flourishing illicit market.
But the math that Sun readers can't seem to grasp is, Prohibition = More
Problems.

If taxes were lowered on tobacco, and marijuana was regulated, we
would have lots of cash for things that actually reduce smoking:
Education, advertising, health care and so on.

Nah. Let's build more jails, hire more cops, give them more toys and
powers, and let the government decide what we can and cannot do with
our own bodies. That has been working so well for the past century, so
why stop now?

Russell Barth

Nepean

(But lowering taxes would also make cigarettes more affordable for
youth)