The pursuit of truth requires information

Progressive nations of the world have begun to accept the notion that personal choices are best left to the person rather than being legislated, based on someone else’s subjective opinion of truth.

See if you can identify this personal behavior – by the ‘objective’ evidence:

1. It causes serious damage to body tissues unsuited for the practice.

2. It puts practitioners at a high risk of contracting a deadly disease

3. “It diverts billions of dollars in public and private funds for medical research and care that could benefit victims of less preventable illnesses…” (Paraphrased from “The pursuit of truth requires courage,” Opinion, 4/17/08)

That’s right: tobacco use! According to the Center for Disease Control, “Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature death in the US. Each year, more than 400,000 Americans die from cigarette smoking.” (www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/factsheets/cig_smoking_mort.htm)

By comparison, about 18,000 deaths were attributed to AIDS (2003).

US smoking-related costs from lost productivity are about $92 billion annually (1997-2001). Combined with smoking-related healthcare costs – reported at $75.5 billion (1998) – the total exceeds $167 billion annually. (http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/medicalnews/a/smokingcosts.htm)

The Center for AIDS Intervention Research reports: “The total estimated cost of AIDS-related medical care in the US [was] $7.3 billion in 2002.” That’s about one-tenth that of smoking-related medical care. (http://apha.confex.com/apha/132am/techprogram/paper_91881.htm)

Most freedoms come with a cost, but I firmly believe in freedom to make personal choices – even “behavioral choices” that aren’t really choices at all.

John H. Terrell