Why Don't You Smoke?

[heydaralon]

I was being sarcastic. Once you start singling out certain activities for special treatment over healthcare you open a huge can of worms which ends with people being refused medical care (or pricing them out of coverage. None of these activities are against the law, there are all sorts of dangerous or unhealthy practises out there if you look for them. It's a slippery slope. No more climbing mountains, no more riding bicycles on public roads no more playing rugby or horse riding. You end up with a nation of risk averse pansies.

This goes into all kinds of weird things people don't even think about either. My dad uses power tools like saws, drills, lathes, etc. He does this as a hobby, not as a job, since he is retired. What is the greater good for society in these actions? He is exposing himself to the potential of a horrific injury that pooled insurance will have to treat. Shit even people who use ladders around the house are way more likely to die from that then from murder of violent crime. We are indeed opening a can of worms. My dad used to joke that in 50 years, you won't be able to go camping, eat a hamburger, ride a horse, smoke a cig, drink alcohol, drive a car, shoot a gun, or use power tools, because of excessive nanny state laws. That is probably hyperbolic, but not impossible. It worries me. A lot of this pressure doesn't even need to come from government. Social attitudes, lawyers, advocacy groups, and hyperactive parents will pick up the slack if government stops. I have no idea if this a problem that can be fixed, or if most people even view it as a problem.

[Hastur]

Michael Mosley did a great piece on vaping recently.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5875ke