tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167149547535484177.post504352682991370816..comments2024-01-20T14:08:08.057+05:30Comments on Serendipity: Smoking is bad for your health! So let us ban the sale of cigarettes to all who were born in THIS CENTURYRatmale,Minneriya,Sri Lankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17252632858481217930noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167149547535484177.post-25541724500259530252014-04-03T09:26:59.753+05:302014-04-03T09:26:59.753+05:30the line in the sand is a tricky issue because who...the line in the sand is a tricky issue because who is to say what the line is? is it to ban tobacco products because they are carcinogenic? well what about banning alcohol because it corrodes health and society? what about gambling? what about fast food? what about other things? who is to say what should be allowed or not? should it be by fiat? democratic vote? individual liberty? <br /><br />I would say individual liberty is the best way to go, because it avoids the slippery slope of overregulation. liberty must be supplemented by knowledge about the consequences of any decisitions that are taken, and thus minors need to be protected from many things until their mind is capable of discerning the good and bad of all decisions made, and to make deciisions that favor the good rather than going along with fads that they know are bad but bring them social approval.<br /><br />the more serious health threat to the sri lankan public is not tobacco but SUGAR. 1/4 sri lankans is diabetic or borderline diabetic because of all of the sweets they consume in the form of sweetened milk, tea with sugar, and of course soft drinks. put a ban or a heavy tax on sugar and you will do a bigger service to the public than more tightly regulating the tobacco industry which is already heavily regulated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com