How about we ban spray paint?

Yes. You literally said, "There’s no practical use that outweighs the benefits of banning it."

You can very easily paint grafitti without spraypaint. People use markers and pens. I'm sure you've seen it. Ban these as well?

Are you suggesting banning knives, or just carrying them? Maybe you'd be happy with not banning spraypaint, just not allowing people to carry it if they don't have a legimate reason (and how do you prove the legitimate use? Artists have to submit a portfolio to the police now?!)

QED - stupid idea, you're not even trying to justify it. I've nothig more to prove and you can't counter the points made, so good night and have fun!

The graffiti scene has moved on from just using a spray can. Rollers and extinguishers get the job done a lot quicker these days.

Graffiti is not so bad, it adds a sense of danger to all that urban chaos and decay, learn to appreciate and live with it. I can't imagine them ever banning spray paint anyway, it has to many legitimate uses. I've been using it all my life but never for Graffiti . . . Not like Banksy.

genius it ends not only the graffitti problem but also teh housing crisis ;0)

First they came for the spray paint and I didn't speak out...

Then they came for the paint brushes and I didn't speak out...

Then they came for the chalk and I didn't speak out...

Then they came for markers and I didn't speak out...

The urban environment is probably just as much of a problem as the sale of spraypaint when it comes to graffiti. The seasoned tagger will mostly seek a location where their work is less likely to be removed, such as unkept properties and areas. Once a place is tagged it creates a domino effect, with the next offender tagging close by the first and so on, spreading out over a large area and interlocking with others.

It doesn't necessarily have to be something large such a derelict factory, it can be a simple, like a shop that hasn't had any tenants for a few months. The majority of the time you can trace back these areas with high amounts of graffiti to unkept properties. The only real exception to this, that I can think of, are areas close by to a train line, which are natural hotspot due to their visibility factor.

The only real solution to graffiti that seems to work in some cases, is graffiti. By that I mean work that is legally painted, mural work, especially if it is done by someone known in the graffiti scene, as some taggers are less likely to paint over other graffiti work.