California Police Can No Longer Arrest Suspected Sex Workers Who Stand Around in Public
The law is an important step, but ending police harassment of sex workers requires decriminalizing the trade entirely.
Nanny State
The Food & Drug Administration Has a Vaping Problem
Something is wrong at the Food & Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products, and federal courts are beginning to notice.
Boris Johnson Leaves Behind a Bigger, Bloated State
As the Johnson premiership goes down in flames, perhaps the Conservative Party will finally rediscover its commitment to liberty.
New Study Finds To-Go Alcohol Did Not Increase Drunk Driving Deaths
Many states allowed restaurants to sell to-go cocktails during COVID-19. Research shows that change is not linked to an increase in drunk driving deaths.
The FDA Perversely Seeks To Make Both Cigarettes and Harm-Reducing Alternatives Less Appealing
The agency’s policies would boost the black market and smoking-related deaths.
Chicago Area Fourth of July Shooting Leaves 6 Dead, Dozens Wounded
Plus: Inflation eats up Americans' savings, copyright officials want to protect your fireworks photos, and more...
The FDA's War on Juul Will Kill People
Bureaucrats say they want to save lives. But they're moving to block a tool that is proven to help smokers quit entirely.
A Broader Perspective on "My Body, My Choice"
The principle has implications that go far beyond abortion. Some of them deserve far more attention than they have gotten to this point.
The Case for Drinking
Alcohol facilitates human cooperation and creativity on a grand scale, says Edward Slingerland, a philosophy professor at the University of British Columbia.
California Fights Inflation by Sending People Free Money
Plus: A New Hampshire distiller fights invasive species by turning them into whiskey, a New York City law letting non-citizens vote is overturned, and more...
In a Surprise Move, the FDA Denies Approval for Juul Tobacco and Menthol Vapes
What was once a classic Silicon Valley success story has become the victim of an intensely ideological war on nicotine.
Mandating Low-Nicotine Cigarettes Could Make Smoking More Dangerous
Plus: Supreme Court rules on school choice and criminal justice reform, Louisiana's trigger law criminalizes abortion at any stage, and more...
Texas Ban on "Transmitting" Nude Photos Without Request or Consent: Does It Apply Just to Posting Them Online?
It looks like it was intended to cover unwanted sexual images sent to a particular person, but its text seems broad enough to potentially cover even posting things on your own site.
Massachusetts Lawmakers Say They Want to Loosen Booze Rules. This Proposal Would Do the Opposite.
The fine print of the latest alcohol regulation proposal in Massachusetts is revealing.
COVID-19 Measures Magnified the Wars on Drugs and Sex Work
Plus: International Whores' Day, U.S. Postal Service sued over the seizure of Black Lives Matter masks, and more...
The Volokh Conspiracy Merch You've Always Wanted
Or perhaps just a few items we thought readers might like.
Study: Jersey Girls' Refusal To Pump Gas Is Costing Everyone a Lot of Money
Research on the effects of Oregon's loosening of its self-service gas ban finds that allowing adults to pump their own gas increases supply and lowers prices.
Teenagers Who Use Marijuana Are Shifting From Smoking to Vaping. Should We Be Alarmed?
The overall prevalence of cannabis consumption among adolescents rose between 2017 and 2019 but has fallen since then.
A Feminist Debate on Sex Work
Reason's Elizabeth Nolan Brown makes the case for legalizing sex work. Author Julie Bindel wants customers to be held criminally liable.
Feminists Debate Sex Work: The Soho Forum
Reason's Elizabeth Nolan Brown makes the case for legalizing sex work. Author Julie Bindel wants customers to be held criminally liable.
Former FDA Official: The Prohibition on European Baby Formula Isn't About Safety
"The knot in getting that product into the U.S. isn't safety, it's a regulatory issue," says Peter Pitts.
The First Amendment Protects the Right To Put a Tiny Penis on a Beer Label
A federal judge ruled Monday that North Carolina bureaucrats violated the Constitution when they tried to ban a Flying Dog beer over a possible penis on the label.
Yet Another Study Blames Food Companies for Parental Choices
Food companies don't determine what parents put in their shopping carts.
Samuel Alito Thinks It's Obviously Absurd To Suggest That Drug Prohibition Violates the Constitution
The justice overlooks the long American tradition of pharmacological freedom and the dubious constitutional basis for federal bans.
California Is Forcing Smokers To Buy More Dangerous Products
Banning less harmful tobacco alternatives is not a way to improve public health.
The DHS Will Be Disinformation Dolts
Plus: perpetual "scope creep" of the welfare state
The FDA Uses Its New Authority To Close Off the Last Remaining Legal Option for Vapers Who Like Flavor Variety
In a move that is likely to undermine public health, the agency warns that products containing synthetic nicotine "will be subject to FDA enforcement."
Why Did Pandemic Authorities Treat Tattoo Shops Like Titty Bars?
"Government restrictions came in, which literally shut us down," says Paul Smith, who co-owns Red Stag Tattoo in Austin, Texas.
The FDA's Menthol Cigarette Ban Is a 'Racial Justice' Issue, but Not in the Way Its Supporters Mean
The proposed rule, which targets the cigarettes that black smokers overwhelmingly prefer, will harm the community it is supposed to help.
Aella: Libertarian Sex Worker Turned Data Scientist
"I am not okay with you making laws that prevent me from doing what I feel is good for me."
FDA Case for Menthol Ban Undermined by New Study
Menthols aren’t harder to quit than other cigarettes.
Her Dream Was To Open a Vegan Tattoo Shop. Zoning Officials Shut Her Down.
"It's a lot to try and put this stuff all together all on my own, using my own savings, and then having to start all over," says Venus Vegan Tattoo owner Selena Carrion.
Meet Aella: The Libertarian Rationalist Sex Worker Turned Data Scientist
"I am not okay with you making laws that prevent me from doing what I feel is good for me."
Georgia Cops Crack Down on Vape Shops for Selling Legal Products
In Georgia, the difference between delta-8 and delta-9 THC is the difference between legal and illegal, but police are threatening store owners over both.
Alcohol Delivery Doesn't Lead To Underage Drinking
The history of wine delivery is pretty clear.
What Old-Time Saloons Tell Us About the Pandemic's Damage
Killing barroom social networks kills innovation.
The FDA's Rejection of a Major Vaping Brand Shows It Is Arbitrarily Applying a Nebulous Legal Standard
The agency's obsession with adolescent vaping is driving decisions that undermine public health.
The New Campaign for a Sex-Free Internet
Sex, money, and the future of online free speech
Rhode Island Senators Consider Two Paths To Decriminalizing Prostitution
One bill would repeal a range of laws against sex work, while the other would change them from criminal to civil offenses.
Welcome to the Nicotine Prohibition Era
Regulators have long targeted tobacco products, but there's new energy behind outright bans on vapes and cigarettes.
Spring Break in Miami Brings a 'State of Emergency'
Curfews and alcohol rollbacks meant to mitigate danger actually hurt local businesses.
Are Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz Ignorant About Child Porn Penalties or Just Demagogic?
Even if the senators are genuinely confused, that underlines the recklessness of their attack on Ketanji Brown Jackson.
