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I don't think there should be an outright ban on smoking.. Just some thoughtful things to go along with smoking.. Smokers should be required to carry a life insurance policy that covers long-term disability, and have full coverage health insurance on themselves at all times or be fined for failure to maintain insurance.

Smoking should not be allowed in any public venue where non-smokers might come in contact with the fumes, or with items that may have tobacco remnants on them.

A portion of all sales of cigarette products should be withheld from each pack sold to be used towards the prevention of lung cancer (duh! Quit smoking!). This will drive the price of cigarettes even higher than they are now.

If you attempt to sell your car to someone, and you are a smoker, it should be required by law that you sign a disclosure stating that the car has been smoked in. That way a non-smoker may choose to not purchase your vehicle, and expose themselves and their kids to the nicotine remnants.

Likewise, if you sell your home it should be required that you disclose whether or not the home has been smoked in. You can NEVER get all of the smoke out of an A/C or heater system & duct work unless you rip all of it out, and replace it. Same with carpet. Same with drapes.

Any person receiving ANY type of state or governmental support (including unemployment), food-stamps, or are behind in child support payments, should not be allowed to smoke until they can afford to pay for those cigarettes on THEIR dime, not the tax-payers.

Any adult smoking in the presence of a minor child should be fined, and then forced to seek counseling on smoking cessation (court mandated). Further fines for the same offense should double, and then triple, etc;

My mother, at present, is dying from lung cancer. I have 3 brothers and she smoked while we were babies, up till the point we all moved out. None of us feel bad for her situation. She has COPD, has Bronchitis, has to be on oxygen just to get around. We all told her how much we hated her smoking around us when we were kids. None of us kids are smokers.

Any person who could look at my mother now, and then go on smoking-well.. Let's just say you'd be better off putting a pistol to your head right now, than leaving your family to care for you once you reach my moms condition. And you WILL reach her condition if you keep smoking. You can kid yourself that it won't happen to you-my mom always did-but in the end, tobacco is going to kill you.

It SHOULD be a good deterrent, but it's been my experience that smokers don't want to think about tomorrow, they just want to enjoy that puff of personal pleasure today. Similar to gamblers, and drug addicts, it's just a selfish way of life. Smokers aren't thinking about anyone else, but themselves, and I'd argue they aren't even concerned about themselves because if they were-they'd quit. Now.