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if you apply the same reasoning to seatbelt laws, the flaws become obvious No, not quite: When one drives, one most often drives on shared public roads, and one's action can directly increase risk to others, costs to those who maintain the system, etc. E.g., if you are in an accident and unrestrained, your being unrestrained may place me at greater risk. Your being more seriously injured due to being unrestrained will have greater social costs (financial cost of first response, possible PTSD to first responders, etc.). One can hardly but drive in a public space, one can hardly ever drive in a private space. While similar arguments re costs of first response, e.g., can be made about drug use, drug use can be practiced wholly privately, and, with quality drugs and with appropriate delivery systems, including training, risks kept manageable, likely social costs kept low, etc. Just to play devil's advocate, as you say. |