I WILL DEFEND FREEDOMS TO USE CIGARETTES OR TOBACCO
The once-glorified cigarette graced the silver screen and could be seen in almost every magazine. Lucky Strike advertisements were as American as apple pie. Joe Camel was a four-legged hero and probably more popular than Spuds MacKenzie. Who didn’t want to look as cool as James Dean with a cigarette between their lips? On the battlefield, a cigarette provided tranquility even if just for a moment. Taking a few drags in a foxhole on a French battlefield while German soldiers were heard yelling or reloading was a little reminder of home.
For decades, cigarettes were a normal part of life. People smoked in every setting — parties, at the office, on airplanes or in the kitchen after a long day. Then we started learning about the negative health implications. Americans became aware smoking cigarettes can have long-term negative effects on our bodies. We learned about nicotine and its addictiveness. Cancer was then linked to tobacco use. Longterm cigarette or cigar smoking could cause lung cancer. As people became aware, folks changed their behavior. Tobacco use, naturally, started to decline.
Then along came the government. Both federal and state governments started to demonize tobacco companies and tobacco use. An all-out war began. The power and deep pockets of government would be no match. For decades, ad campaigns targeted tobacco companies. Government enacted laws restricting advertisements. Tobacco packaging was regulated. Then came the taxes. Cigarettes are one of the highest taxed products available. When this didn’t satisfy the thirst for power, bureaucrats started telling us about secondhand smoke. See, it’s not just bad for you, it’s also harmful to those around you. (There is not scientific consensus about the degree.) Again, not satisfied, they claimed thirdhand smoke is not just a reality but dangerous as well. (That claim is still the subject of research.)
Years later major tobacco companies would be sued. They settled every state lawsuit pending against the tobacco industry for an astounding $206 billion! We are told they target young people. They want people to use their products. Umm, yes, of course they do! The same things were said about McDonald’s. Happy Meals target young kids. Again, yes, of course they do! That is the goal of every business. Provide a service or product people want or need. Then separate people from their money.
Eventually people figured out smoking is not a good choice or were shamed into quitting. Notice I used the word choice? The consumer then found a new way. It is said necessity is the mother of all invention and smoking was no exception. The need for a safer alternative gave us vaping. Vaping produces no smoke. The cloud you see is water vapor. Vaping allows the user to regulate the amount of nicotine they inhale. In fact, people have used vaping to quit smoking altogether. Users gradually reduce the amount of nicotine, slowly breaking their addiction. Manufacturers of vaping products got creative and started selling f lavored vape, opening a new market. Flavored vape attracted people who didn’t smoke cigarettes at all. This included young adults and teenagers. And right on cue, government comes to the rescue once again. Realizing existing laws weren’t keeping tobacco products out of the mouths of teenagers, the smoking age was raised from 18 to 21.
That wasn’t enough either. Gov. Gavin
Newsom recently signed into law Senate Bill 793, which bans the sale of f lavored tobacco products, beginning in January. Luckily, more than 1 million signatures were submitted to election officials last week to pave the way for a ballot measure to overturn that ban.
Meanwhile, the state government is pushing cannabis use! That’s right, the same people who have been telling us not to smoke cigarettes are making it easier to smoke cannabis. In fact, cannabis dispensaries were deemed essential businesses during the pandemic.
I’m not defending cigarettes or tobacco use. I am defending the individual freedom to do so. I am fed up with the demonization of tobacco users and manufacturers. The last thing left to do is ban nicotine. But that hasn’t happened yet. Why?
The next time you see someone taking a drag, don’t look at them with disgust. Save your judgment and instead thank them because their cigarette taxes fund child health care.
Nuñez