Mr. Antitobacco, Henry Waxman, a Reformed Smoker

Government and tobacco

What we need is an tobacco czar.

Nicotine addiction

I think your anology about the never ending circular dependency between the govt taxes, big tobacco and the smoker is very interesting. But don't forget about the smokefree workplace laws that have further isolated the smokers. What we have created with that law is a new market for innovative nicotine and smokefree products that further enhance the smoker's nicotine dependence.

All drugs are addictive

The real question is why should the big 2 be legal and the others illegal (except when prescribed by a medical practitioner of some sort).

Everyone that tries any of them believes he/she can quit at any time--until they try to.

And then there are the ones that condemn the use of all but the one they are addicted to (does the name Rush Limbaugh ring a bell?)

I'm not convinced that the current effort

will be any less a giveaway to the tobacco industry (and government) than the last one was. First we charge smokers (generally an underclass of people) 5 or more times the cost of the product, addicting the government to tobacco taxes and greasing the tobacco companies so they not only go right along, but can make "settlements" too. Now we're going to get the FDA to presumably reduce the nicotine content in cigarettes. (So that hooked smokers will smoke more of them to get the same buzz?

Tell me why that is not the likely result.)