Hacker News Reader

Comment by ketzo | Hacker News Reader

Smoking is really, really, really bad for you. It’s much worse, and much harder to stop, the earlier you start. Banning flavors 1) stops some overall consumption 2) especially stops youth consumption.

Lifetime healthcare costs for the negative externalities of a pack-a-day smoker can reach into seven figures. And most people, frankly, don’t pay that themselves. It’s a tremendous burden on our healthcare system.

We ban lead paint, even though it’s super cheap and makes for vibrant colors. I honestly don’t see how this is any different.

View on HN

>We ban lead paint, even though it’s super cheap and makes for vibrant colors. I honestly don’t see how this is any different.

That's totally different. Lead paint leads to a ton of environmental exposure to unwitting people. Smokers by contrast have made a choice to smoke.

Do you want them to ban bacon and soda too? Where's the line? Should we ban motorcycles because they're more dangerous than cars? What about recreational diving, skydiving and recreational pilots? Backyard swimming pools are incredibly dangerous statistically, shall we ban them too?

People have an inherent right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The government can ban smokers from smoking in a way that exposes you, but what right do they have to say you aren't allowed to do something dangerous if you so choose to do it?

> Do you want them to ban bacon ... Where's the line?

There's a factor 30 of leeway on where to draw the line:

> How many cancer cases every year can be attributed to consumption of processed meat and red meat?

> about 34 000 cancer deaths per year worldwide are attributable to diets high in processed meat.

> ...

> about 1 million cancer deaths per year globally due to tobacco smoking

https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/cancer-carcinogenic...

Not entirely different. Smokers may choose to smoke and that is their choice but the people around them don't. Some of them may have control over their exposure but children (and pets) in smoking households are victims with little to no control over their exposure.

I don't think we should ban tobaccos outright, regardless of that fact, but smoking has real consequences for people other than the smoker themselves.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com