"The difference between willingly risking one’s life and health in service of country and risking one’s life and health for the profits of tobacco companies is vast."

I do not know a single person who smokes for the express benefit of tobacco companies in the same way they serve in the military for the benefit of their country. Usually they smoke because they like to smoke. The RG's comparison is absurdly unhelpful.

I hate smoking, particularly when my neighbor does so on his porch for an hour at dawn, and his smoke drifts in my window as I try to cool my house. Even so, I prefer people have the right to make the decision to smoke for themselves once they are of reasonable age to know the consequences, which they certainly should by 18. However, they should not be able to force others to bear any part of the costs of that decision. Tobacco should be taxed at a rate to cover all health costs for its use. Those taxes should be held in a superfund which would reimburse health providers.