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Comment by tunap

12 years ago

Once demonization has eradicated tobacco from the public's grasp, these benefits may be sold back in pill form for an even greater margin of profit. Yay Capitalism!

5 comments

tunap

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yetanotherphd  12 years ago

More like tobacco is rightly demonized for its harmful effects on health, but nicotine, which does not have these effects, is not. The market responds to informed consumers by providing nicotine without the tobacco.

I would chalk this this one up as a case of capitalism working [for the general good [this clarification shouldn't be necessary but it always is]].

  • gwern  12 years ago

    > The market responds to informed consumers by providing nicotine without the tobacco.

    Well, once tobacco has been socially stigmatized and huge taxes placed on it, anyway. I'm not sure nicotine gum/patches/e-cigs existed before the War on Smoking. I expect you could buy purified nicotine oil from chemical suppliers, but it'd be up to you to figure out how to use it (and do so without killing yourself).

jerf  12 years ago

You should read the article. He prices out nicotene for you. It's... not going to make anyone wildly rich the way cigarettes did.

  • bitcrusher  12 years ago

    Unless 'someone' gets smart to the system and starts adding tax to the quit smoking products, of course.

    I think we're seeing some of this now, with the greater attention being paid to e-cig products.