In the Senate debate, the tired argument about individual freedom was raised. Such fuzzy thinking is dangerous. Of course not. Tobacco, unlike these other controlled substances, is legal. But it shouldn't be.
Tobacco causes illness and death.
When Sen. Venables compared banning smoking in public to his doctor telling him to cut down on red meat, he mocked the thousands of Delawareans who are suffering from lung cancer, heart disease and other consequences of tobacco smoke. Nicotine addicts are the victims of the tobacco companies, lured into beginning this disgusting habit. Delaware should continue to use the money from the national tobacco settlement to educate the young about the ravages of smoking and provide medical help for people trying to quit. Meanwhile, smoking should be banned in all public places. The House of Representatives should join the Senate in passing S.B. 99.