Smoke Yourself Thin!

New at Reason: Will FDA regulation of tobacco make for a healthier and more productive smokeforce? Jacob Sullum thinks not.

Comments

[Pete Guither]

Typical. Withhold information on relative dangers because of the fear that people might choose to smoke.

It's like the way the government likes to treat so many things...

- Don't provide information on ways to reduce STDs because that will encourage sex.

- Don't provide needle-exchanges that save lives and prevent the spread of disease, because that might encourage people to shoot up.

- Don't tell the truth about drugs. Instead use D.A.R.E." Just Say No" approaches, because if we tell the truth about marijuana, people might want to use it. (Forget about the fact that once they realize they've been lied to, they are at greater risk with their lack of knowledge about drugs.)

When are we as a society going to come to understand that people are going to smoke/drink/eat fatty foods/do drugs/have sex regardless of what they're told?

Harm/risk reduction is a valid approach. Understanding that people will experiment and/or choose self-destructive paths, we can:
1. Provide accurate and truthful information, so that people understand the real risks and make their choices on that basis.
2. Work to make these activities less risky (condoms, sterile needles, untainted drugs, safer cigarettes, etc.)

This approach also provides a much greater benefit to society at greatly reduced cost.