Tobacco.org

LETTER: 'Post-Smoking Ban, City Gains 10 Million Lbs.'  

E.B. Solomont is to be congratulated on her well-researched and well-presented article on the flip side of the smoking bans which were conceived by Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden and imposed with the force of law by Mayor Bloomberg [New York, "Post-Smoking Ban, City Gains 10 Million Lbs.," March 27, 2008].

Using their highly visible platforms they have leveraged an international stampede to outlaw smoking. Of course smoking cessation often results in overeating and eventual obesity.

The problem is cessation does not always work and can have undesireable consequences. The long history of sumptuary law is dreadful. The fact is law will not work; education perhaps, but not law.

The millions of dollars in tax payers money spent on disgusting TV commercials designed to frighten people would be better spent on good scientific research on obesity.

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