Paceline smokers, come out of the closet!

[tommyrod74]

Originally Posted by gdw

Sure, why not? If we're going to be a nanny nation lets also tax the foods with high percentages of sugar or corn syrup at the same rate we tax tobacco. The folks who are addicted to overeating should pay for the burden they place on our health care system.

This argument is a lot like the argument against stricter gun control laws – car accidents kill more people every year, so why don’t we lower the maximum highway speed to 25 mph before we touch gun control laws? It would save so many lives!

The reason your argument (like my above example) is flawed: automobiles, like food, are 100% necessary for most people. More people are negatively impacted by a draconian speed limit restriction than realistic gun laws.

I’m not arguing that firearms aren’t necessary-quite the opposite. They are, however, far less necessary for the average person than an automobile is. Cigarettes are completely unnecessary, and therefore a far better (and easier) target for regulation.

All that being said – I’m a registered dietitian with a masters degree in nutrition. I have zero problem with a “fat tax” added to high calorie, low nutrient density foods, for example. I suspect, however, you aren’t really proposing that we do that. You just think we shouldn’t have any government intervention, and are therefore proposing something you see as ridiculous to illustrate your point.