[urgeok]

the one thing i cant get my head around in deliberately inhaling smoke.

There is a filtration system in your body that is designed to prevent crap from getting into your lungs which are crucial and fairly delicate.

Smoke is the worst kind of garbage you could inhale so with smoking not only is it inhaled .. it's voluntarily forced there.

Eventually the small walls of the lungs get coated, rotted, and the surface area for oxygen to blood transfer is reduced leaving you in poor health.
Not everyone is effected the same way or at the same speed but its pretty simple science.

Alcohol is a form of poison (like chocolate :)
Some areas of expertise say that in moderation, it can be benifical. I don't know the facts to back that one up.

The real problem is twofold.

Smoke of any kind is pretty obviously a bad thing to do to your lungs.
Excess of smoke is as bad as excess of anything else . if you hava an addictive personality and cant afford it, then it can have a social impact as well.

Alcohol in moderation isnt a big deal but if its abused it has more immediate ramifications, socially and healthwise.

Bottom line is that both have negatives .. no denying that.
Both have positives.

For me the negatives outweigh the positives re. smoking
I'm not an alcoholic so i dont have any health or social problems taking a couple of drinks a month.

Should pot be legal ?
Absolutely - as long as cigarettes and alcohol are legal there is no logical reason why it shouldnt be.