re: #34 Spare O’Lake

1. Ever hear of second-hand smoke?

Yes, and I have no problems about restricting smoking in public spaces, workplaces, etc.

2. Why should a smoker’s fellow citizens be forced to subsidize the cost of the smoker’s self-inflicted illnesses?

You could ask this about any risky behavior, though, including promiscuous sex and riding a bike. It turns into a rather complex calculus quickly, and I don’t see where that gets us.

I’m more asking, though, why anyone thinks prohibition is possible. Smoking is a terrible thing, the worst fucking decision of my life, and a part of me would love to see it made illegal. I don’t, however, want to let my emotions overrule pragmatism, if making it illegal would have overly negative consequences and not actually achieve its goals in the first place.