[Mpls] My last words on the subject

[Michael Atherton]

Terrell Brown wrote: 

> Things that _can_ be used safely, without causing harm to the user or
> others (partial list):
> Handguns
> Assault rifles
> Automobiles
> Alcohol
> Trampolines
> Swimming Pools
> Motorcycles

All of these have potential risks to the user and others.

> Things that can't be used without causing harm to the user 
> and/or those
> around him/her (partial list):
> Cigarettes
> Crack cocaine
> Crystal meth

All of these have potential risks to the user and others.

Chris Johnson wrote:

> But making any kind of argument against a smoking ban by 
> comparing it to automobiles would be a complete red herring 
> and totally irrelevant to the issues.  Motor vehicles provides 
> numerous benefits to society.  If all motor vehicles ceased 
> functioning at noon tomorrow, the majority of the U.S. population 
> would starve to death in a few months, for example.  Smoking 
> tobacco provides no such widespread or public benefits.

I don't think that this is a red herring at all.  I think that
it's a completely valid analogy.  For the vast majority of
Americans automobiles provide only convenience or pleasure,
and they do significant harm:

* There is a death caused by a motor vehicle crash every 12 minutes; 
there is a disabling injury every 14 seconds. 
* Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people 
ages 1 to 33. 
* There were an estimated 5,800 pedestrian deaths and 90,000 injuries. 
* Bicycling resulted in about 800 deaths in collisions with motor vehicles. 

Not to mention the negative effects due to air, water, and
soil pollution.  It maybe true that it would take sometime to
reduce our dependence on automobiles, but there would also
drastic economic consequences of an immediate ban on tobacco
products.

As to whether tobacco has no societal benefits, I believe that
that's an individual decision. I think there are many things
that Americans do that have few societal benefits, but
I don't feel that the government has any moral justification
for intruding on the choices of individuals when those
choices don't directly impact others.  Just who is going
to choose for us?  The majority?  Democracies are only
just when the rights of minorities are protected.

Michael Atherton
Prospect Park