Pubdate: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 Source: Canberra Times (Australia) Contact: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/ Author: Paul Drury SO WHY DON'T WE BAN TOBACCO TOO? COLLIS PARRETT (Letters, February 18) would do well to pay those with whom he disagrees the courtesy of reading what they have to say before replying. He might then understand what their arguments are. Perhaps Collis Parrett can explain what protected 99 per cent of the population from addiction before total prohibition was introduced and, if addictiveness is the sole criterion for total prohibition and total prohibition is so effective, he might also like to tell us why it is that we do not totally prohibit another very addictive substance, nicotine, thus saving many thousands of people from a miserable death from lung cancer or many other illnesses. PAUL DRURY Giralang - --- MAP posted-by: Pat Dolan