According to The Hill:
"The House agreed to the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act on a 307-97 vote. The bill, sent to Obama on Friday, empowers the FDA to regulate tobacco products. Obama is expected to sign it."
Technically, I don't have a horse in this race--I don't smoke and never did--but I wonder about the wisdom of allowing the FDA to regulate tobacco. Are we on the way to making tobacco illegal? Are the 'green' people going to come up with some sort of vegetable people can smoke who want to continue their smoking habit? What about the fact that the government makes more money from the sale of a pack of cigarettes than the tobacco company does? How is the government going to replace that revenue? Tobacco Subsidies in United States totaled $530 million from 1995-2005, what happens to that money? Does it continue?
As you can see, I have more questions than answers. Admittedly, smoking is not necessarily a positive habit, but this law represents another limitation of personal freedom coming down the road. Can trans fat be far behind? When do I have to give up my ice cream? What about moose munch? Where will we draw the line?
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