Everyone knows about the risks of smoking. The warnings are on the packages; kids learn about it in school; many (or all?) states ban it in public places. If you want to ruin your health by smoking, go ahead. I don't think we can demonize Big Tobacco anymore; we all know about the risks. If anything smokers should pay higher premiums on health insurance.

What about the other people that smokers smoke near? Do they sign on for the risks? Should the government protect them?

rs123- i agree with you in principle, but in practice how do you manage this? the only way insurance companies know about smoking is self reporting. so people could report and pay more, or they could not report and pay less. you could argue that if they don't report, then when getting sick they should be denied coverage. that's the same as not having them insured at all though...and we know uninsured people result in great costs to society (as long as we keep it illegal for emergency rooms to deny service anyway).

so while i think government should not be in the business of protecting us from ourselves, in cases where there is great $ cost to taxpayers i see the necessity.

The government is NOT in business to protect us from ourselves, period. I am capable and responsible for protecting myself. The day I submit to governmental intrusions such as smoking regulations, trans-fat, etc., is the day I check my brain at the door. And by the way, I don't smoke. But the bottom line is that our government has crossed the line consistently about "knowing best". They don't know best for me. I do...

you must favor legislation that controls calorie intake, I mean fat people cost us way more then smokers. You'r taxes should be related to you body fat, we could set up tax calcualtion centers. Then we really should do something about bicyles:

Injury and death rates:

• More than 3.5 million children 14 and under suffer medically treated sports injuries each year.
• Nearly 50 percent of children 14 and under hospitalized for bicycle-related injuries are diagnosed with a brain injury.
• Motor vehicles are involved in the majority (more than 90 percent) of bicycle-related fatal crashes.
• In 2007, nearly 240,000 children ages 14 and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for bike related injuries.

HST: Tounge firmly planted in cheek.......

I do think we should tax people above a certain BMI...although that would be a regressive tax.

Why is the government trying to protect us from ourselves? Because the people of the United States are allowing the government to do so.

I'm afraid you're right Katherine,Katherine. If you bring up the word freedom they look at you like you're a freak. "What's that got to do with anything?"

wow...

Hst_Fan:

wow...

How intelligent.

so the concept of one being stunned confuses you, one word, sad.....

It doesn't confuse me. Where did I express confusion? I expressed disdain for your low-brow, unintelligent response.