<< AmusedOne -- << ... the government has no right whatsoever to forcibly save people from themselves. >>
I'm more concerned with saving myself and others from a government that so blatantly corrupted by money that it can't even bring itself to consider taking reasonable steps to promote the public welfare by educating our kids about the dangers of tobacco and including smoking reduction in the health services they already (lamely) attempt to provide. It also calls into question what else they do for greed that runs contrary to the interests of the public, at large. >>
Oh BS. EVERYONE knows smoking is potentially bad for you. EVERYONE first learns this where? SCHOOL.
The government has more than done it's job here. There is not a single person over 5 freakin' years old that hasn't heard the dangers of tobacco. It's up to the public to decide whether or not to follow what they know.
Stop blaming eveyone else but your friends for their irresponsibility.
As for the pathetic "greed" argument, would you be happy if all tobacco was tax free? What? No? I swear, the rabid illogical anti-tobacco people talk out of both sides of their mouths. On one side, "Tobacco should be taxed at ridiculous levels to discourage smoking," and on the other side, "government is greedy and does nothing because it makes so much money from tobacco."
Gawd f'ck sh!t damn, make up your freakin' minds already!