"In Europe, when tobacco was first introduced,
it was immediately banned. In Turkey, if you
got caught with tobacco, you had your nose slit.
China and Russia imposed the death penalty
for possession of tobacco."
by:
Andrew Weil, MD
(1942- ) American author and physician
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Reader comments about this quote:
That fucking quack is a public danger. Why does anyone give him any credibility ?
 -- F. Tremblay, Montreal     
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    ....as opposed to the slow and painful but free choice death penalty of actually smoking?
     -- Inflausa, Bonita Springs     
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    Smoke only in your own bubble.
     -- David Rosenthal      
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    F. Tremblay; because he has that grandpa-like facial hair - like Santa Clause. What more 'authority' do you want from a guy marketing 'snake oil' anyway? The real reason though, is the same one that accounts for G. W. Bush's current White House stint - we're idiots.
     -- Terry Berg, Occidental, CA     
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    How can you "rate" a statement of apparent fact? Does "no stars" mean it is a false statement? hahaha
     -- Joe, Rochester, MI     
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    Turkey, China, and Russia: all well known for their love of liberty. That's JUST who we should model our society on.
     -- Anonymous     
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    EXCELLENT points Joe and Anon. That really IS funny - especially as it relates to Weil.
     -- Terry Berg, Occidental, CA     
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     -- Mohammad Sayeed, Bangalore India      
    You should see waht he says about vaccines! Just google VACCINE TRUTH
     -- Anonymous, Sarasota, FL     
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    Is this supposed to be a commentary on the danger of tobacco or how barbaric the places mentioned were?
     -- E. Lupus, Medford     
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    so what
     -- warren, olathe     
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    I'm with Joe and Anon on this one.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    I gave it three stars because it is not an opinion but appears to be a statement of fact. If true it shows how wise if even barbaric China, Russia and Turkey were. American tobacco began moving around the world in the 1600's banning it had nothing to do with socialism/communism just common sense. Now America too is developing common sense with the ban of tobacco in public places etcetera. Amazing how common sense is not very common sometimes. Remember when opera singers use to brag about smoking Camels because they were good for their throat.
     -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas     
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    During that era, Russia & China also "banned" homosexuality. You can't legislate behavior.
     -- Joe, North Caldwell, NJ     
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    So did the US Joe. You can legislate anything you want. You should say that you can't make any body behave. Then you would be correct.
     -- warren, olathe     
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    Europe, Turkey, China, Russia -- these are not and never have been free republics based on soveriegn citizens and inalienable rights. The public has no authority on what private individuals may consume in the privacy of their own homes.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Great Article on Prisons in America : http://mises.org/story/2957
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    P.S. There still is a death penalty for the use of tobacco, it is called cancer. It feel certain it has killed many more than China, Russia and Turkey combined.
     -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas     
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    If you think that, Waffler, you might want to find out how many people China, Russia, and Turkey have murdered. Even so, dying at your own hand is not the same as having death imposed on you by a government. I wonder what happens to all of those Pro-Choice people when the choice involves something they don't like. As for government and tobacco, I find it hypocritical and immoral that government makes a significant income in taxes from a product it purports to discouraged its citizens from using.
     -- Ken, Allyn, WA     
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    I'm with Ken on this one.
     -- jim k, Austin     
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