Its because a lot of people like it and then people pay a lot of money for it which we need. But me I rather not it kills you to fast

A lot of people like it so much that it's making a lot of money from people buying it.

  Because cigarettes are one of North America's largest (shirt term) money makers.  It boosts the economy because they are addictive and they are taxed as hell to make each cigarette in a regular pack worth about 5 times as much as the materials it cost to make each individual cigarette (7 to 13 cents).  Being sold outside of the regular market is a quality of cigarettes that the government doesn't want to get rid of as the regular street value (here in Canada anyway) for buying a cigarette off of someone is $1.00.

  So, basically cigarettes are legal because they have a large impact on our economy for being such a small and useless product, and it doesn't alter your state of mind or have any instant side effects, so there are not that many people who look into cigarettes and try hard to get rid of them because they are not seen as being as much of a threat as a substance that does like marijuana or alcohol.

Marcmoney : Coming from a medium-heavy smoker..

When smoking, the nicotine does alter blood flow causing the slightest drowseyness; hence why it is so relaxing but it's deemed a safe drug because it doesnt effect the user to a point where he or she could crash a car etc...

It also has a lot of other effects, smokers do have a greater chance of getting cancer.  The tax which every government puts on the sale of cigarettes is so high; they would be taking a huge hit to the never regions if they made it illegal. 

Theres so much hype over here in Australia with the general public trying to push new laws about where you can or cant smoke.  They cry and sook that were doing such a bad thing but really, it's up to the smoker whether or not he/she does it or not... and the taxes we pay for cigarettes goes to fixing roads, new public parks and so much more. 

I dunno. Maybe because it can be dangerous both to yourself and to people around you. It can be especially bad if you've got asthma.

No government in their right mind would ever ban the sale of tobacco, theres too much money to be made from it. In Australia, packets of twenty cigarettes cost an average of $14,compared to five years ago $9, the increase is a result of the excise placed on cigarettes. I'm going into the health profession to be a podiatrist,and apart from the usual talk of heart disease and lung cancer,smoking is also a major contributor to circulatory disorders such as peripheral vascular disease,which can often result in gangrene in the extremities such as the fingers and toes. I think it would be difficult to have any sympathy for those who smoke and yet need to have needless medical care as a result.  The damage caused to the respiratory airway is astronomical, the smoke destroys the follicles that help remove most of the crap out of the throat and lungs, and out of the bodies. Although governments preach about the dangers of smoking, why should they ban it when it is the perfect cash cow in most societies, especially those in Africa where tobacco companies are targeting younger people, as young as ten in some cases, where the governments would rather make money then ban its sale and protect it s citizens.

One thing I'd like to put in, and hopefully no one else said it, is that New Zealand is planning on becoming the world's first completely tobacco free country on Earth by I thing 2015.
         They started with free or cheap quitting courses and programs to help to lower the amount of addicts. They then started to put bans around public and government buildings, and they are currently in the process of raising the prices of tobacco products to the point of them becoming so costly, that people would rather quit.
          Before they started raising the prices, each packet of 20 cigarettes cost 10 NZD (New Zealand Dollars). Now, in the middle of the price raising process, the cost about 13 NZD (From 7.88 USD to 10.24 USD) and when they finish on January 1, 2014 they will cost 15 NZD (or 11.82 USD), a raise of 50%. After that year, they will officially make tobacco illegal in their country with similar charges as substances such as marijuana.

I personally think that tobacco should be illegal, but I already know that it isn't going to happen. Unless we follow similar procedures as New Zealand, it probably won't work, because of how popular it already is. If this happens in the US, it will probably happen pretty much everywhere else. 

And as minnowboy1 was saying, "No government in their right mind would ever ban the sale of tobacco, there's too much money to be made from it."

While it is true that tobacco sales do brings in a large amount of taxes, it really doesn't help much. In the United States, taxes on tobacco bring in some 5.5 billion dollars annually. While that does sound like a lot of money (more than 99.99% of you will make in your entire lives), the national debt is around $15.5 trillion. Keeping the sale of something as destructive as tobacco in order to keep making money is comparable to  trying to dry the Nile River by sucking all the water out through a straw. It's just not going to work.

Here's the real reason why.

If they were outlawed, bootlegging and smuggling of alcohol/tobacco would run rampant.

At least this way, the economy benefits from these two things. Have drugs like marijuana being illigal ever stopped people from doing it? No. Also, alcohol is probably the least dangerous drug in the world. Its almost impossible to get addicted to it the first time you use.

As many people have already said, It makes countries lots and lots of money in taxes. Plus people could argue the same for alcohol as well. 

I personally don't mind if people smoke or not. I'm just glad I don't as I wouldn't be able to afford it.

Honestly knowing whats in smokes and what they do to you is horrible. But it's all about one thing MONEY, Some packs can range from 6$ to 10$ it's rediculous and personally i'll never smoke in my lifetime. I think it's a waste of money, and i prefer to live a long life.

Personally, I feel as if they say "Hey you're stupid if you do it" Because they do warn you! They also regulate trade. But it's legal for the purpose of business, which is why other drugs will be legalized i'm sure. though this is just me, that is!

The reasons for them being legal are numerous, so I'll only state a few. A while back, when people really started noticing the drastic effects of it, they made it illegal to purchase or consume tobacco products. This caused massive outrage and anarchy, not to mention more people actually started using tobacco, simply because it was made illegal. Another reason; have you ever noticed the high prices on tobacco products? It's high because companies pay people to keep tobacco legal. The same thing goes for alcohol. I personally things that these things should be illegal, or just stop being produced, because so many people put others at risk when they smoke or drink alcohol. So that's some stuff I learned about tobacco drugs and alcohol a few months ago. Hope it clears things up!

because it generates money

Seriously?
Why Is It Legal?
To Collect Tax Dollars Of Course.
Legal or not tobacco is a billion dollar industry.
And That's by the Month.
Cut out the Industry, and Taxes go so Sky High, we might as well sell half the states in the nation to make up the difference in National "Payola" lost.
Though Honestly...?
I could do without half the states on the U.S. map anyway.
Who wants to sell Canada?

Good Luck To All.
I'm Done. Stick a fork in me.
Peace.

I don't usually jump on these old posts, but I have to say:

Cigarettes are legal to keep Thud out of jail.

Every time I feel the urge to wrap my fingers around some moron's neck and squeeze until the stupid stops leaking out of their flapping mouths, I go out and have a cig. Murder averted, calm returns, life goes on.

If it wasn't for these cigs, many people who currently are breathing and wasting space might have been destroyed, so...

Wait.

Hmm. Perhaps I should quit smoking. I heard prison is nice, anyway.

I think the reason cigarettes are still legal even though they can cause cancer, tartar build up in the lungs, clog arteries and cause heart attacks is because the government can control and make money off of it. Let me make an example of moonshine. It's illegal to make and distribute it by yourself or your buddies, but if the government made a deal with you and earn some of your money it would be perfectly fine. Why is weed illegal in almost every state, yet its side effects aren't as serious? Because we can grow it ourselves and don't need anyone else to have it.