Another stupid law

I heard yesterday on the news that a town in Southern California wants to ban smoking in apartment buildings when a neighbor complains. As a Libertarian, I think these anti-smoking laws are all absurd. Portland, ME, has made it a crime for you to smoke a cigarette in your own private vehicle, if a child is oresent who is under 5. A town in Massachusetts is considering the same thing. There are also ordinances on the books that prohibit smoking in public areas such as parks

Let me just say from the outset, that I quit smoking a year and a half ago as of April 1, so I have been truly on both sides of the aisle on this issue, and my opinion has changed that we should stop persecuting people who buying a legal product. In fact, if anything, I am truly a confirmed non-smoker now, as I was walking home a few weeks ago and I found an open pack of cigarettes on the ground (not my brand). As luck would have it, I was carrying a lighter on me, as I had been rummaging through my 'top drawer' (everybody has one) and I found a few lighters and decided to bring it to Braintree to light candles, so we won't have to rummage for matches. So I said to myself "Why not?" to bring back the memories of when I walked and smoked. Two puffs, and only two puffs, is all it took before I wanted to vomit. All I did was gag. Hard to believe I was a pack a day smoker for 33 years. Now I am a confirmed non-smoker.

Bur nonetheless, if states and federal governments were REALLY interested in healthm why don't they just BAN tobacco? When Firestone had exploding tires, weren' the tires recalled? Isn't asbestos, Agent Orange, cancer causing compounds banned from production in the US? How about DDT and Freon, since it harms the ozane layer. We've known that tobacco is harmful since the Surgeon General's warning was put on them in 1964, so why are the tobacco compaies STILL allowed to producr them. Hell, they've ADMITTED that they add chemicals in a deliberate attempt to make them more addicting and they market to children. And yet senior citizen's cannot get drugs that could save their lives from Canada, because the FDA 'isn't sure' of their safety? And speaking of children, would these laws ever have a chance of passage if politicians didn't drag in the 'its to protect the children' argument. Wouldn't people just take the view that 'its my car, my property' and if I want to smoke in it, its my right?

And what happems if you OWN a condo in a building where the neighbors complain? Will 'common areas' such as air-conditioning ducts, trump home-owner ship rights in America? And what if you have a neighbor who justs wants to be an asshole and he knows you smoke?

Here are more reasons why tobacco should be banned - sattes will be forced to stop 'selectively' taxing certain groups of citizens because smoking is considered a 'sin', but for years alcoholics have been getting a free ride on that score for years. RJ Reynolds ahs other things it can sell, like coffee, (Maxwell House, I think). Make smoking patches free to everyone who wants one. Don't worry 'bouut RJ Reynolds, it could still market to children in China and India. China has about 300 million smokers, a tobacco company's dream come true.

Legislatures everywhere can concentrate on where to fix roads, bridges, build schools, etc. rather spending countless hours on where next to ban smoking, and what new ways they can abuse purchasers of legal products. Do they harass YOU for buying an exploding Firestone tire? No, they went after the producers and made them replace them with safe tires. Sounds like common sense to me. But please, we have more serious issues facing the nation, like the 2 TRILLION dolalr estimate for the Iraq War by 2010. Let's bring back sanity and end the stupidity.

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