The tobacco companies support farmers to grow the crop What about using the billions to support the farmers to grow alternative crops - it wont be difficult to pay better than the tobacco companies and more food or fuel will then be produced. If no tobacco is grown there will be none to smoke!!

Felicity, Serenje, Zambia

Stop the sale of single cigs, this is clearly aimed towards kids.

Neelkumar Patel, Peterborough,

given that nicotine is an addictive drug, why stop at nicotine, go after heroin and cocaine and alcohol

peter c, devizes, wessex

An average smoker in a lifetime will pay more tax and die younger and more quickly than the equivalent non-smoker and thus cost the country less than someone who needs a pension and long term healthcare in their old age

They'll only moan when everyone lives to 85+ cos unhealthy things are banned

Mark, den haag, Netherlands

As the popultation is spiralling out of control and there are now regions struggling to feed its poplution. Is Bill's idea a good one?

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

Here, Here, D of Toronto.
I am all for an individual's right to damage himself, so long as in doing so he doesn't have any adverse effect on anybody else.

Owen, Banbury, UK

Good on you guys, I hope someone out there with similar inclination will also start a campaign against alcoholism. There's enough deaths reported daily in the newpapers in India that can be attributed to alcohol abuse.

Ram, Bombay, India

D.Toronto - how is that even an argument; some people might have a car crash while others don't drive, some people might have a waterskiing accident while others don't waterski, some might have a skydiving accident while others don't skydive.....think about it.

Tim Williams, Brighton, Sussex

People have the right to kill themselves, whether with food, tobacco, alcohol or drugs. On the other hand 9/11 rescue worker and other New Yorkers should not be left to die, after being poisoned by toxic dust - after having told it was safe.

No one using these substances think they are good!

Andrew Graham, London, UK

This is the biggest waste of financial aide I have every heard of, £500 million pounds to prevent a civil liberty, absurd. I am not a smoker, but this seems like further meddling of the developed world in the developing. Why not tackle major issues like famine or national debts?

Daniel, Woodstock, England

Why don't they put their money into cureing addictions? Most people smoke because they have a disease, not because they don't know that smoking is bad for them!
Millions are put into other diseases that kill a lot fewer than tobacco. Education will not stop a disease.

Bob Dowdall, Yellowknife, Canada

in response to 'farhad', do people have a right to burden the health care system with their self-induced vices? while others that maintain good health throughout their lives pay for YOUR hospital care?? maybe some people don't see this as your 'right'.

D, Toronto, CA

What about smoker's rights?

For years we have had rights to:-
1) throw lighted cigarettes from our cars
2) have our work ''smoke'' break
2) smoke up clubs, bars, restaurants willy nilly
3) kill / injure ourselves/ passive smokers
4) immunity from any prosecution for all that.

So why all the fuss?

Dr. John Rathers, D.Eng, London,

if bloomberg wants to "help" smokers quit why doesn't he "help" the hundreds of thousands of new yorkers who have to buy 9$ packs and smoke it outside the bars under rain and hail?? oh right because they don't need "help"! messing with people's most basic rights: "philanthropism"? yeah right...

farhad, los angeles, usa