January 16, 2014

Smoking and Individual Liberty

By Peter Skurkiss
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the date when the surgeon general at long last admitted that smoking was a clear and present health hazard (1), particularly as it relates to lung cancer. And even though great strides have been made against smoking since then, much more needs to be done. More than 400,000 Americans still die prematurely each year from smoking. And indeed, the current warning printed on each pack of cigarettes is as follows: "SURGEON GENERAL WARNING. Smoking Causes Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy." This warning is unequivocal. It says smoking causes these diseases, not that smoking 'may cause' them. And aside from the premature deaths that smoking causes, imagine the cost involved. Take lung cancer. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths, and of it, it is often said that prevention is its cure. That's because smoking is the main cause of lung cancer. But such an understanding wasn't always so. Smoking only began on a...(Read Full Article)