Partly tradition and inertia. Partly vested interests.

In the UK, if cigarettes were made illegal the Government would struggle for funds as the tax on cigarettes is extremely high. I'm sure they'd find something else to tax us on though........they have no trouble in doing that.

Drugs that are considered illegal are assessed in the Controlled Substances Act by their potential for abuse, accepted medical use, and potential for addiction. So according to that they should be very illegal. One of the main controversies is that marijuana has a rather low abuse rate, has many excepted medical uses, and no physical addiction exists - yet in the U.S. it is a schedule 1 drug: - The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse. - The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. - There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_Substances_Act This in my opinion makes the whole system ineffective. Basically your answer is lobbyists. We should not make cigarettes illegal. I do not smoke them anymore but if someone else wants to they can.

Because when the Government first decided that it could, and should, regulate what people did to their own bodies, tobacco was used by a huge slice of the population and regarded as safe. Alcohol was also used by a vast number of people, but known to be Not Safe. So the US government tired to ban alcohol with Prohibition - which failed. So when, later people realised that tobacco was as dangerous as alcohol, if not more so, there was no impetus to try the Prohibition experiment again. Other drugs, which are arguable less dangerous but have not been traditionally used by the dominant culture, have been banned.

Cigarettes are one of the highest taxed products on the market. It is monetary pure and simple. You are better off dead as far the government is concerned if you die at about aged 61 and are not married. They then keep all your money.

Why is it that cars kill millions of people a year and they are not considered an illegal drug?

The tobacco industry has tremendous political power and is a multibillion dollar juggernaut that has institutionalized its product with millions enslaved.

I read a quote from a comedian, forget which one: "It is more profitable for your congressman to support the tobacco industry than your life."

because you dont have the right to tell me what I can or cannot put into my body

Because there wouldn't be anymore blues music.

The government can't tax illegal drugs.

corporations need moneys!

It also brings in millions in taxation! If they could find a way of taxing the illegal drugs I am sure that governments would soon find an excuse to deregulate them!

because if they were illegal the governments of all countries would loose too much tax revenue.

The government makes to much money on them and RJ Reynolds is to powerful and pays them off!

1.) Tobacco does not truly intoxicate people in the way illegal drugs or alcohol does. 2.) Tobacco is a massively profitable and powerful industry.

Because we don't ban products just because they can harm the user.

because its adictive and people make way too much money on it...

The goverment sponsers cigg companys like a politicain in ny stae was found out to have taken bribs from newport ciggartes to say that seconed hand smoke does nit kill

Alcohol isn't considered an illegal drug either but millions are killed by the abuse of it. Alcohol and tobacco are taxed highly. Look at the deaths caused by "huffing" aerosol products, glues, whiteout. . .they aren't considered illegal either.

Because it is a person's right to choose what goes into their own body. Anyone telling me that I am not allowed to smoke can kiss my ass. I am tired of losing rights because people want to whine about something. I am tired of losing my freedoms because morons do stupid things as well. If ya smoke 2 packs a day for 30 years, you are gonna die. Isn't my fault isn't my problem. SO why are there so many others out there who bitch and moan so much? Secondhand smoke is real, but mostly hyped up. They make it sound like secondhand smoke is anywhere near as bad as smoking yourself. Well it isn't, quit whining you sissies. Same goes for marijuana, which was made illegal because the government and propaganda claimed it would make people uncontrollably violent. Well it doesn't, the government is full of s*#t and I am going to smoke it. Anyone who tries to force me to stop is likely to be met by deadly force. I value my freedoms. Anyone who tries to take them away will learn that their are still people who will fight to the death to defend their rights. That includes fighting the law, "health nuts", and liberals trying to tell me what I can no longer do with/to my own body.

If it were illegal, how would you stop it from being grown here, around the world, how would you stop it's illegal sale and use. Million's perhaps billion's would be spent trying to stop it, would you jail people for it's illegal distribution and use, more million's of dollar's for that, and already overcrowded jails would swell with what, possibly million's of new convicts, or thier therapy which would cost hundred's of million's. So in the end you end up with another illegal drug that result's in more crime, more violence, more criminal's, higher taxes,more prisoner's. Yes it would reduce health cost's, but illegalization would far outcost any health care expenditure.