Renowned Oxford epidemiologists Sir Richard Doll and Richard Peto found that diet, and in particular fat abuse, contributed more to deaths from cancer than did tobacco. A government impressed by Doll and Peto's findings would not make tobacco its main target. It would impose a two dollar fat-tax on peanut butter cups. The law would ban McCains from advertising frozen pizzas at 2 in the morning when rumbling bellies offer no resistance. Government policy towards tobacco is not consistent with its policy towards other causes of cancer because smokers are wimpy kids on the political block.
Government shames smokers with regulations and advertising campaigns.
This shame humbles smokers and unites anti-smokers in a campaign to tax tobacco. A feel for the cynicism of this exercise comes from noting that if tobacco revenues were a sign of who owns the industry, government would be the biggest shareholder. Please report any dead links or technical problems.