Yuyutsu,

"(unless smokers find a way to produce zero emissions so that no one outside their circle is hurt)"

"Unless" gets brought into the picture again, which is used to "introduce a case in which a statement being made is not true or valid."

So it's not about producing zero emissions - as smoking itself is damaging to the human body and potentially other people (in multiple ways), zero emissions or not.

So an argument on smoking based on "unless" is an ongoing circle - which achieves absolutely nothing.

Dear Nathan,

Yes, smoking is damaging to the human body and that smoke damages others who come in contact with it, hence a reason to demand zero emissions.

I suppose that if you kill yourself, then your mother would be very sad, but she may also be sad if you fail your university degree or refuse to enrol there in the first place; or if you select a girlfriend/wife that's not to her liking. Do you then suggest making it illegal to make your Mom sad?

<<(in multiple ways)>>

Please list them, so they are all openly on the table.

Yuyutsu,

"(unless smokers find a way to produce zero emissions so that no one outside their circle is hurt)"

1. Smokers have not found a way to produce zero emissions, so that no one outside the circle is hurt - this is based on science.

2. Smokers have not found a way to produce zero emissions, so that no one "inside" their circle is hurt (like an unborn child for example) - and this is also based on science.

So an argument based on "unless" in relation to smoking, is an ongoing cycle like putting washing constantly in my dryer - (and no I don't have one), but if I did, eventually with so much use, it's going to overheat, turn itself off or eventually break down.

By the way, I'm sure many appreciate those who did invent the dryer - American inventor, Mr J. Ross Moore, in 1938 and industrial designer, Brooks Stevens who developed the first electric dryer with a glass window in the 1940s.

I'm not so sure however, for the large numbers of people who are currently dying from smoking related illness or have been left with permanent damage by the actions of others - due to smoking.

So using "unless" in relation to other cases you mentioned, is nothing more than a simplistic "denial" of the issue, that being the realities of smoking - and why it should not be part of society.

However if we are going to look at this issue simplistically - we could look at the following site which some would argue as being humorous:

http://www.safetysign.com/images/catlog/product/large/K1342.png

Dear Nathan,

I am saying "unless" because it is none of my business whether or not smokers can find practical ways to produce zero emissions outside their own circle. Thus, I leave it open: if they can and do find a way, then good on them - otherwise they may not produce that smoke and other by-products.

As for their inner circle, I disagree - they should have the legal freedom to poison each other and their unborn too. If you (like myself) hate smoking, then don't enter the womb of a smoker (and if you do, then you only got yourself to blame)!

You don't need to convince me that doing so is wrong - however, the state has no moral authority to enforce righteousness and prevent sin. If it were in fact serious about preventing sin, then the first thing it would do is to dismantle itself!

I agree with the author completely. In my view not one government has ever asked any smoking company NOT to add nicotine and other chemicals which cause the foul smell and also make the person an addict. The companies do this under the heading of 'Flavouring and Moisturizing agents' . I have been smoking cigars for the last 21 years. I am yet to be an addict of it. I havent smoked one since november and I do not 'NEED' to. Cigarettes contain 40%tobacco at most and the rest is the yuck that goes in it! On the other hand, cigars are made up of pure fermented cigar tobacco dry air cured. No chemicals added.
Cigars are hand rolled by poor craftsmen and women who wish to make an honest living abd put dinner on the table for their families and try to put the kids thru school. These are good christian country people who take pride on earning their livlihood and not beg like our neighboring Indonesians and othe mideast refugee producing countries do. May be by hiking the taxes and reducing the smoking area we are on the verge of importing refugees into australia. I am sure all the puritans would love to hear that.
In Newzealand their people are allowed to grow ten kilos of tobacco per year for personal use but we in australia are prohibited by a rule made by the then aristocrats. If people were allowed to grow their own then they would not be addicted. Did you know that the most addictive substance is sugar!! I have certain ideas which will help all sides to this debate and I think I will suggest it to the hon.senator.

I have a phobia of tobacco smoke. I absolutely hate it.
When I was a kid the adult smokers in my family would regularly smoke around me, my sister, and our cousins, and yell at us if we ever asked them not to. My maternal grandmother would actually yell at us if we did anything to avoid breathing in her cigarette smoke, such as changing seats, covering our faces, waving the smoke away, or leaving the room. As a child I had bronchitis a couple of times, an ear infection, and chronic sinus problems. When I was six-years-old I had to go to hospital to have an operation to have my adenoids drilled.

These days if I am in any way exposed to cigarette smoke all those childhood memories come flooding back, and I start subconsciously grinding my teeth.

Regarding the supposed "right" to smoke, I actually believe that no such right exists. I believe that for the following two reasons:

(1) Smoking pollutes the air

(2) The tobacco industry is riddled with human trafficking, child labour, and deforestation.

For evidence of the latter reason, check out these links:

http://www.unfairtobacco.org/en

https://plan-international.org/about-plan/resources/news/child-tobacco-pickers-poisoned-reveals-report/

http://www.plan.org.au/Our-Work/Blog/20140612-indias-tobacco-girls.aspx

http://www.traffickingproject.org/2010/08/tobaccos-other-dirty-secret.html

http://www.laborrights.org/sites/default/files/publications-and-resources/Tobacco%20Position%20Paper.pdf

There are plenty more.

Heck, even Malawi's tobacco workers union is calling for a phasing out of the tobacco industry. Malawi grows a lot of the world's tobacco.

http://laborrights.org/sites/default/files/docs/TOAWUM_letter_FINAL%20w%20logos.pdf