--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you want to talk about distributing…" description: "\"If you want to talk about distributing substances that are lethal, . . . let's be serious. Tobacco is far ahead of anything else. Alcohol is second.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/noam-chomsky-42_alcohol_if-you-want-to-talk-about-distributing-s_936776.jpg" --- # If you want to talk about distributing substances that are… ![“If you want to talk about distributing substances that are lethal, . . . let's be serious. Tobacco is far ahead of anything else. Alcohol is second.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/noam-chomsky-42_alcohol_if-you-want-to-talk-about-distributing-s_936776.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/noam-chomsky-42_alcohol_if-you-want-to-talk-about-distributing-s_936776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/noam-chomsky-42_alcohol_if-you-want-to-talk-about-distributing-s_936776.jpg) > “If you want to talk about distributing substances that are lethal, . . . let's be serious. Tobacco is far ahead of anything else. Alcohol is second.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker ranks tobacco as the most deadly legal substance, followed by alcohol, urging serious consideration of their health impacts. **In simple terms:** Tobacco and alcohol are the top legal killers. Key Takeaway Address substance risks seriously. Themes public health policy addiction Mood concerned urgent Type analytical advocacy When to use this quote - health policy debates - public awareness campaigns - education programs Key Concepts risk assessment legal substances Questions to Reflect On - How can societies reduce tobacco and alcohol harm? - What policies effectively curb addiction? A Different Perspective The ranking may overlook other harmful factors like illicit drugs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alcohol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcohol/) [Distributing Substances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distributing-substances-1569534/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Let Tobacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/let-tobacco-963752/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [Substance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substance/) [Substances Lethal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substances-lethal-1569533/) [Tobacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tobacco/) [Tobacco Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tobacco-far-1569535/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [It's not in doubt that tobacco is far more lethal than hard drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-not-in-doubt-that-tobacco-is-far-more-lethal-than-hard-drugs/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Don't let tobacco companies make the choices for you... they care about their own well-being, not yours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/don-t-let-tobacco-companies-make-the-choices-for-you-they-care-about/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [I myself smoke, but my wife asked me to speak today on the harmfulness of tobacco, so what can I do? If it's tobacco,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/i-myself-smoke-but-my-wife-asked-me-to-speak-today-on-the-harmfulness/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [If the principle is, "Let's not get lethal substances out to the public", the first one you'd go after is tobacco. The next one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-the-principle-is-let-s-not-get-lethal-substances-out-to-the-public/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Suppose that the US really is trying to get rid of drugs in Colombia. Does Colombia then have the right to fumigate tobacco farms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/suppose-that-the-us-really-is-trying-to-get-rid-of-drugs-in-colombia/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Suppose that, say, China established military bases in Colombia to carry out chemical warfare in Kentucky and North Carolina to destroy this lethal crop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/suppose-that-say-china-established-military-bases-in-colombia-to/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [One might ask why tobacco is legal and marijuana not. A possible answer is suggested by the nature of the crop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/one-might-ask-why-tobacco-is-legal-and-marijuana-not-a-possible-2/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [What right does the US have to do anything in Colombia? Does Colombia have the right to bomb North Carolina? There are more Colombians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/what-right-does-the-us-have-to-do-anything-in-colombia-does-colombia/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [One might ask why tobacco is legal and marijuana not. A possible answer is suggested by the nature of the crop. Marijuana can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/one-might-ask-why-tobacco-is-legal-and-marijuana-not-a-possible/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's one white powder which is by far the most lethal known, it's called sugar. . . . The Caribbean back in the 18th…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-one-white-powder-which-is-by-far-the-most-lethal-known-it-s/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The worst drug of all by far is tobacco; the death toll from tobacco is just overwhelming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-worst-drug-of-all-by-far-is-tobacco-the-death-toll-from-tobacco/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The increased use of cigarettes and tobacco products among youth is worrying. Starting with cigarettes and tobacco, youngsters are soon lured into use of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-jayachandran/the-increased-use-of-cigarettes-and-tobacco-products-among-youth-is/) [M. Jayachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-jayachandran/) > [It's disgraceful that year after year, Congress has bowed to the tobacco lobby and refused to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/it-s-disgraceful-that-year-after-year-congress-has-bowed-to-the/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [Coffee and tobacco are complete repose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/coffee-and-tobacco-are-complete-repose/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tobacco is the passion of honest men and he who lives without tobacco is not worthy of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/tobacco-is-the-passion-of-honest-men-and-he-who-lives-without-tobacco/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. 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