Talk:Debate:Should government restrictions on smoking be tightened or rolled back?

Comments

The current legal measures to curtail smokers from using their "drug of choice" in public settings stems from the "second-hand smoke" issue, (which is far from "settled science"). That smoking directly effects smokers is not disputed and there is good reason to restrict smoking based solely on such direct effects: the question then becomes, whether the power of the state should be brought to bear on people who, well aware of the dangers and effects of smoking, choose to smoke regardless.
If the science of second hand smoke is shaky then any laws passed upon such science is equally suspect as the government which passes such laws should only try to maintain the law(s) if the original intent was to save lives from the effects of second-hand smoke. Should the "science" dissipate like...smoke...then the laws "protect" no-one save the power of the state over the individual, which is anathema to Conservatives. Marge 14:25, 22 July 2008 (EDT)