Smokes

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

STDC, statistics don't work that way - it's very very well established that an individual's likelihood of dying of agressive lung cancer, emphysema or bronchitis increases exponentially with regular smoking. In any population of 300 million subjects you will find plenty of exceptions.

Huh?  I know there are exceptions, just like with people that don't wear seatbelts and survive horrific car accidents.  Rather I was making the point that genetics, family history, even race play as much or more of role of what a person will die from regardless of their lifestyle.  Every form of cancer is also higher in those that smoke.  Lung, brain, pancreatic, prostate, stomach, liver, you name it.  Those too are statistics.

 

[bbl4ck]

STDC, statistics don't work that way - it's very very well established that an individual's likelihood of dying of agressive lung cancer, emphysema or bronchitis increases exponentially with regular smoking. In any population of 300 million subjects you will find plenty of exceptions.

Huh?  I know there are exceptions, just like with people that don't wear seatbelts and survive horrific car accidents.  Rather I was making the point that genetics, family history, even race play as much or more of role of what a person will die from regardless of their lifestyle.  Every form of cancer is also higher in those that smoke.  Lung, brain, pancreatic, prostate, stomach, liver, you name it.  Those too are statistics.

This is a true factor...    :toothy11:

 

[DangerousR6]

I think the 'tax bad for you' stuff is a good idea and instead of making smoking illegal they should extend the concept to the less-dangerous illegal drugs as well. Smoking for instance has societal costs - treating lung cancer is hugely expensive and I pay part of that to medicare - why shouldn't the damn smoker pay for their risk up front? I'm not smoking. At the same time if you want to kill yourself to look like Marlon Brando, go ahead, but don't ask me to pay for your hospital bills when you get emphysema on medicare.
I think they should do the same (tax!) with any food that comes in a box and is filled with transfats, sodium and corn syrup (i.e. every food that comes in a box). It puts the true cost of the food more in the users lap (youth diabetes, etc. etc.) and has the side benefit of encouraging people to eat more real food. That's a better solution than outlawing crap imhop. Live and let die, but pay your fair share up front.

So then theoretically shouldn't you be heavily taxed for driving your car and putting a million times more co2 in the air than the US populous of smokers? Or shouldn't alcoholics be outragiously traxed for their liquor, cause 90% of them are going to be driving their vehicles after a few to many, and boom someone gets killed or maimed. :dontknow:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

So then theoretically shouldn't you be heavily taxed for driving your car and putting a million times more co2 in the air than the US populous of smokers? Or shouldn't alcoholics be outragiously traxed for their liquor, cause 90% of them are going to be driving their vehicles after a few to many, and boom someone gets killed or maimed. :dontknow:

I do you one better Doug.  I don't have kids, and may never at this rate, but I pay school taxes that I get no use from.  I've never had a cavity and still have all my teeth, but pay the same for insurance as the next guy who has bridges, root canals, caps, and false teeth.  I drive the same roads as my wife, but because she drives a 4-cylinder Saturn and I drive a truck with a V-8, I pay more in road taxes built into the price of gas even though we are provided the same service.

 

[Mor Paul]

I don't smoke for a few reasons...

My allergies give me breathing problems sometimes already, and that's with no tar.
I'd like to live as long as possible, so with the evidence against smoking, I don't find it a good decision.

Oh, and I can't stand the smell. Kind of a problem when I go to a friend's house where the dad smokes, but I've been able to work around it.

 

[tfarny]

The economy, and therefore you indirectly, benefit from having educated kids. Also they are kept off the street and out of your lawn. Your truck chews up the roads more than your wife's car. And because you burn more gas you make more use of the infrastructure that makes buying gas more convenient than buying milk. And the guy with bad teeth pays HUGELY in copays and whatnot - dental insurance is crap. Sorry, I just feel argumentative tonight.  :redflag: :redflag:

 

[bbl4ck]

So then theoretically shouldn't you be heavily taxed for driving your car and putting a million times more co2 in the air than the US populous of smokers? Or shouldn't alcoholics be outragiously traxed for their liquor, cause 90% of them are going to be driving their vehicles after a few to many, and boom someone gets killed or maimed. :dontknow:

I do you one better Doug.  I don't have kids, and may never at this rate, but I pay school taxes that I get no use from.  I've never had a cavity and still have all my teeth, but pay the same for insurance as the next guy who has bridges, root canals, caps, and false teeth.  I drive the same roads as my wife, but because she drives a 4-cylinder Saturn and I drive a truck with a V-8, I pay more in road taxes built into the price of gas even though we are provided the same service.

True, true, true...  Unfortunately, nobody claimed that life is fair! 
Therefore, love the life you live and live the life you love...

 

[DangerousR6]

So then theoretically shouldn't you be heavily taxed for driving your car and putting a million times more co2 in the air than the US populous of smokers? Or shouldn't alcoholics be outragiously traxed for their liquor, cause 90% of them are going to be driving their vehicles after a few to many, and boom someone gets killed or maimed. :dontknow:

I do you one better Doug.  I don't have kids, and may never at this rate, but I pay school taxes that I get no use from.  I've never had a cavity and still have all my teeth, but pay the same for insurance as the next guy who has bridges, root canals, caps, and false teeth.  I drive the same roads as my wife, but because she drives a 4-cylinder Saturn and I drive a truck with a V-8, I pay more in road taxes built into the price of gas even though we are provided the same service.

 

[DangerousR6]

The economy, and therefore you indirectly, benefit from having educated kids. Also they are kept off the street and out of your lawn. Your truck chews up the roads more than your wife's car. And because you burn more gas you make more use of the infrastructure that makes buying gas more convenient than buying milk. And the guy with bad teeth pays HUGELY in copays and whatnot - dental insurance is crap. Sorry, I just feel argumentative tonight.  :redflag: :redflag:

:laughing11:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

The economy, and therefore you indirectly, benefit from having educated kids. Also they are kept off the street and out of your lawn. Your truck chews up the roads more than your wife's car. And because you burn more gas you make more use of the infrastructure that makes buying gas more convenient than buying milk. And the guy with bad teeth pays HUGELY in copays and whatnot - dental insurance is crap. Sorry, I just feel argumentative tonight.  :redflag: :redflag:

No argument here or offense taken, these are intelligent conversations as far as I'm concerned.  I know I benefit more from what I pay with those examples, rather it was a rebut to you that you felt that you shouldn't have to pay for other's lifestyle choices.  I realize I live in a society and will always pay for things I don't have access to or directly benefit from.  I still like to bitch about it though, it makes me feel good.  Besides, even though I pay for little Johnny's education, little Johnny's mother is very quick to tell me to mind my own business.  What happened to vested interest and it takes a village?