Government anti-smoking initiatives are a scam and a sham

[Loonman]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&ncid=751&e=1&u=/nm/20031112/hl_nm/health_tobacco_dc

Take money - Do nothing.


I'm not surprised....

[Kolesar]

1. States would lose tobacco tax revenue if smoking declined

So the program has a perverse incentive NOT to reduce smoking.

[ant]

2. well...

I for one would like to hear what they ARE spending the money on. If budgets are tight, I'd rather they cut anti-tobacco programs than education (for instance).

[JHB]

3. Tax Cutting, part 2

Part 1) Cut taxes for electoral gain.

Part 2) Make up the lost revenues from some other source, one with fewer political concequences to milking it.

[Bridget Burke]

4. Lung cancer's really not a big social problem.

(A doctor I know got these points from a professor when he began studying the disease--he didn't actually agree--nor do I.)

1) Generally, it strikes in the 50's or 60's--after the victim has passed his most productive years.

2) The course of the disease is usually rather short, so not much expensive medical care is required.

3) Finally, there is a saving to society because of the years of pension & social spending that will never need to be paid.