Smoking is bad for you, as you mentioned, supposedly by the scientific method. And ONLY the scientific method. The scientific method is NOT the end all be all of methods and perspectives.I don't want to ban it but, I have seen family members die early because of it.
All because one freak of nature lives long is hardly in keeping with the scientific method.
If I had my way they would be almost tax free and you would be able to still smoke in bars. And restaurants could choose to allow a smoking section or not. As a teenager I could smoke in malls and restaurants.
You missed the point, smoking is not healthy, but up to the individual whether or not to smoke, chew tobacco or whatever.
I am against all these bans and high taxes. I also believe second hand smoke shit is basically bullshit, with a few narrow exceptions.
Hell, I even believe allowing smoking to prisoners who behave themselves as long as they aren't trading the weak for a few packs or cartons of cigarettes.
I am horrified at them raising the smoking age to 21. If you your 18 and an American male, you have do what I did and almost every other 18 year old male who is an American male does. Go to the post office or possibly a federal building and register for the selective service. Even though there hasn't been a draft( besides sports, smart ass) in over half a century.
Smoking is not healthy, so what, it is a choice. And I am against all the bullshit that really start to gain momentum in the 90's. I am against it in elevators, theatres, commercial jets on commercial flights, (but I would allow for specifically designated flights to allow it) and some other places. However I believe it is up to the proprietor of a business to decide if they want to allow it or not.
If you really believe smoking cigarettes is good for you, then you need to put the pipe down and get help.
Ofcourse, in the society we live in, the scientific method is the chosen method to be adhered to.
But I believe in the alternatives.
I know that chakras exist, and I know that chi energy exists. And I know that naturopathy and herbalism offer much benefit to ones health.. all contrary to the scientific belief system.
Native cultures view tobacco as a holy medicine. And is used for medicinal purposes.
So why are you telling me to neglect all this info and telling me what the next man says, even though what I am doing, is consciously bringing a contrary thought into the matter and brining to the table that we are not considering all the facts.
Nor are we trained to smoke in a fashion that is medicinal to us. I would imagine all the people you supposedly lost to tobacco smoking, if it was actually tobacco smoking that caused it and not other poor lifestyle choices (or poor lifestlye choices coupled with tobacco smoking --> dangerous), then like there is the idea that they had abused tobacco smoking and did not do it in a mindful way.