Baltimore's War on Blunts
reason contributor Jacob Grier has some sharp words for Baltimore's proposed ban on the individual sale of cheap cigars, a law that would force customers to buy their Phillies and El Productos in packs of five or more. "These cigars pose every bit of the risk that cigarettes do," city Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein declared at the press conference announcing the proposal. "It's a small but important step to reducing the incredible toll tobacco takes on the people of Baltimore." Or as Grier puts it, "In other words, upper class people can responsibly choose to smoke a cigar, but poor people need to have choices taken away from them."
Might the city also be trying to subtly expand the war on drugs? After all, does anybody actually smoke those things without adding a little something extra?
Whole thing here. Jacob Sullum on "those crazy kids and their cigars" here.