At 2003-04-30 01:17 +0000, stuart wrote:
There is a line, that line is harm, not discomfort. My argument is that there are many things that cause discomfort, that's life, tough shit. If smoking actually caused harm to people near a smoker, I wouldn't protest any of these bans. But nobody has been able to prove it does.
Of course! How could I have been so blind? Tar is good for your lungs. In support of this, the FDA will release a Minimum Daily Requirements update listing tar as an essential nutrient - with the caveat that it must be breathed in rather than swallowed - any day now. Those pictures of black lungs are nothing to be worried about - black lungs are more efficient, and the tar coating helps shield lungs from harmful substances like oxygen. Nicotine is good for you. All the proof needed is that it calms down hypertensive type-A personalities. The dozens of carcinogenic compounds formed by combustion of plant matter aren't really there. A lab mixup resulted in the misidentification of the compounds produced by burning cigarettes. The compounds are really vitamin A, B6, B12, C, D, E, calcium, "soy protein," and zinc. -- Freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things. They're also free to live their lives and do wonderful things. --Rumsfeld, 2003-04-11