Draug, there is a big movement, especially in health education, that in some places actually says that marijuana is a healthier alternative than tobacco. I don't think either is a good idea; both of them just give me a giant headache and I won't smoke either of them again.
The other big movement in schools now is to say that the tobacco industry took off before the USA existed and has become such a traditional thing that we've lost the health aspect, which in some sense is true. I'm all for the industry, but as this thread states, there are alternatives, and as new technology comes out there will hopefully be a healthier alternative that has the same "qualities" that tobacco does. I think that, with the young people leaning liberal at least for now, health will override industry, and while that may hurt our economy, there are going to be a lot of bigger problems in 50 years that need dealt with. Health is going to be one of them. I hope I'm wrong.