Somewhat less free than the US. They do have government healthcare. That means unhealthy habits are a drain on government. To cut cost it is natural to look at high cost of care conditions that could be prevented. The government has to increase taxes or make things illegal to control cost.
I see that as a problem with government healthcare. It will always result in either higher taxes or a restriction on behavior.
"I can vividly recall in the first couple of weeks into my first clinical rotation watching an elderly man with end-stage emphysema literally suffocate and die on my shift wearing just a venti mask. It was a clarion moment for me as a young health care professional even though I never smoked."
Elderly man -- had possibly lived a good life. Why is this even a question. People can do what they want. In every other western country outside of the US, you might be able to argue that since Medicare is provided free by the state that it is an unfair load on the system -- but in the US -- you absolutely don't have that argument available in your pocket. Sorry. So -- to each his own.
Smoking doesn't only impact the smoker. Second hand smoke is dangerous too. That's why there is regulation on where it's permitted.
Costs to health care system also impact everyone. Though in the USA private insurers are starting to pass on some of the costs to smokers. And it could be argued that smokers often die young enough to offset health care costs of later life.
This is why we've banned smoking in restaurants and have designated areas. That's enough Government intervention although my personal take on this would be to leave it up to restaurants to manage this decision. If they don't want smokers in their restaurants, they can choose to ban them. If you don't like smoke in restaurants, don't go to ones that allow indoor smoking. This is a bilateral choice for a non-essential service (restaurants). But, we've handed over the power to Gov in this case. Too late. I would be OK for Gov to mandate a sign outside the restaurant that informs customers if it is smoking/non-smoking as it would be horrible if you sit down for a meal and all of a sudden someone next to you just lights a Cigarette.
>If you don't like smoke in restaurants, don't go to ones that allow indoor smoking.
I remember living in the 90s where every restaurant allowed smoking indoors; smoking section or not, the stench and irritability of the smoke permeated the entire space. It was impossible to get away from, other than simply not patronizing restaurants. To this day, I experience an immediate headache when cigarette smoke wafts in my direction.
The question is: Why does somebody's unhealthy habit get to travel with them and affect people around them everywhere they go?
Yeah, I have the same problem with Marijuana. Our apartment complex has a courtyard which has been destroyed by the stench of Marijuana. It permeates every corner, it doesn’t go away.
I have no problem with people smoking Marijuana but people need to be more considerate.
Unless you can prove that my actions are directly harming you, you have no claim to control over what I do. My skin demarks the beginning of a sovereign dictatorship ruled by me. Your rules and desires do not apply here.
I like this straightforward argument and an honest stance. I think it is OK for Gov to provide warnings to people. Put nutrition labels. Even Tax things to a certain degree (need to put limits on how much). But, prohibiting access is crossing the line.
I think many people would like to see their loved ones live longer, healthier lives and die with relative comfort. That doesn't require being denial about their mortality.
I don't disagree. But it's also not clear why the government should incentivize individually cheap, collectively expensive personal decisions like current smoking patterns.
Which doesn't, in itself, justify a particularly nasty form of death for hundreds of thousands of people. Why let the perfect be the enemy of the good?
In Canada (where the article is authored) there is universal healthcare. The health effects of smoking burden the healthcare system and therefore other Canadian citizens.
In the US healthcare system I have less a problem with smoking since you will have to pay for the healthcare on your own.