Alright,
I have been staying out of this one, but I guess I can't resist anymore. Gotta play devils advocate here. You guys raise the point about the war on tobacco. The argument has been made that claims of adverse health effects are over bloated at best. Eagle has raised the very interesting point that Tobacco has played such an important role in our history that it can be argued that America would not be here if it were not for tobacco.
My thought? I think smoking leads to cancer. I am not a doctor, I can't specifically sit down with you and explain why it causes it (above and beyond what little background in basic physiology I have), but the medical community seems pretty unified on this one.
True, that reasoning is far from infallible. Just because every doctor in the world thinks bleeding people cures the plauge and all disease can be traced to demons does not make it true. But today's doctors have a deeper knowledge of cancer and how it works. They are far from understanding it completely, but I think they generally have a decent enough idea of what they are doing, I am willing to trust them on this one.
So, the argument can be made that the AMA, American Cancer Society, etc... is being bought off by big tobacco, or is trying to distract us. What I wonder is- what reason should I have to believe that? Is there any evidence? Yes, it is true that tobacco use is very ancient. Keep in mind; however, that ancient ritual use did not entail walking out to the back every hour or so for a smoke break. Here in the US, tobacco use is far from ritualized. It is something that we do in great excess IMO. Afterall, could not similar arguments be made about candy? Candy leads to diabetes. Candy leads to obesity. Both of which are major killers. Is candy bad? Heck no- not unless you make a buffet trip out of candy every day. The occasional candy bar usually wont hurt you.
Does tobacco kill? I think so. Does that stop me from having an occasional cigar? Does it keep me from some nice pipe tobacco from time to time? Nope. I think if you do not indulge excessively, you are probably fine.
A major problem as I see it is the addiction potential of tobacco- particularly cigarettes. Its easy to get hooked (I have known many), its hard to quit (I have known few). Should the government step in and stop us from smoking? I do not think so- I think personal choice needs to be factored in here. Should companies like Camel be allowed to advertize with cartoon characters which have been shown to have appeal to children? Should children be allowed to buy cigarettes? No way. Kids do not have a deep enough appreciation for the potential issues tobacco can cause. They are simple not mature enough to make that decision yet- and there are too many idiots out there with kids, that should not be parents. Of course, I do also buy the argument that the government may have exacerbated the issue by making a big deal out of it. After all, do European kids handle alcohol like we do?
I think tobacco control is necessary- specifically with children. I am not sure where one needs to draw the line but I think the line needs to be drawn. Do I think tobacco should be illegal? No. Do I think there are health benefits? Absolutely, in fact there are very few things out there that completely lack some health benefits. The health benefits, unfortunately do no eclipse the potential health problems which tobacco can cause. Much like the potential for the use of digitalis as a heart medication does not negate the fact that if you made a salad out of digitalis leaves- you would likely die (it would stop your heart). My thought, enjoy smoking, but don't overdo it.