Welcome to Gaia! ::

Dude. You are SO COOL.

well your computer could get cancer DUH! and dont even get me started on the side effects it could have on the avatars around you!

Good thing I've got three.

not nearly as annoying as screaming at everyone in my guild... stare

or do you think a virtual cigarette is the same as a real one...

have you missed the humor in the name of this guild?

I'm just pondering this when I say it....

I wonder if this was a legal issue? Remember Joe Camel, ye older Gaians? They legally beat him down because Joe Camel was seen as pandering smoking to underage kids and encouraging the habit.

Have any of you considered that might be the cause for the sudden turnaround here on Gaia? Perhaps they are facing legal issues? The majority of the users on Gaia are under the age of eighteen and yet, to some, handing out virtual cigarettes is the same thing....encouraging the idea to underage kids that smoking is okay and glamorous. I wonder if they came under legal pressure to thus remove all cigs from Gaia?

PS, I do not smoke and will never smoke nor permit it in my home....but legality aside I'm viewing the uproar on Gaia at the moment something like what happened with Prohibition....and if the users uproar enough they'll be heard....IF this is not a legal matter.

I suppose that might be the case, but if so, Gaia should simply tell us so. Instead, they issued an announcement in which they cast themselves as angels, for doing something which is only symbolic. Frankly, if they want to make a statement, they should publicize that they are sponsoring free clinics for any employee of theirs who wants to stop smoking. That would be a REAL positive action.

Despite my support of this thread, I don't smoke, never have. But honestly, the political correctness of the world isn't supposed to extend into this fantasy realm... If it was, a lot of people would be hauled off for their scanty clothing!



Well I can sure sympathize with that! My "Reality" is a place to go to get away from the outside world, so I'm pretty upset that the politically correct 'no smoking' has infiltrated Gaia... a wholly imaginary world.

I think Gaia is just saving themselves from trouble. I'll bet some parents would get offended if they saw tobacco related items on a site for practically anyone. I think they just want to save themselves the complaints.