Bill proposed in Oregon would make cigarettes prescription-only drugs

[JDPriestly]

35. This does not ban smoking. It merely insures that smokers are checked by their

doctors. It also makes it more difficult for kids to get cigarettes.

Further, it would enable a huge scientific study of Oregon's smokers to get solid data on the health effects of smoking.

I doubt that it will pass, but I think it is a great idea.

I don't know how it is now, but when the birth control pill came out, you had to get a prescription for it. That allowed for the medical profession to get really good data on the effects of birth control pills. So many people were afraid of them.

Right now, smokers self-report their smoking history -- how much they smoke, etc.

This prescription idea would serve some good purposes. It doesn't outlaw smoking. It outlaws smoking if you don't visit a doctor and get a prescription. Hopefully, when you are getting your prescription, you will also get a bit of a check-up -- say of your lungs, your weight, your blood pressure. This bill could help lots of smokers live longer. There is no guarantee, but it isn't such a bad idea.