Hysteria and Inconsistency: Smoke-Free America

What’s happening in the United States can scarcely by explained by health concerns. Smoking is hazardous to your health and non-smokers must be protected from passive smoke: agreed. But what’s happening now in the United States has little to do with health and more to do with hysteria.

If New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had his way, no one would be allowed to smoke in, for example, Times Square. As diesel trucks roll through the streets, emitting particulate matter, smokers on the sidewalk are potentially murdering non-smokers hurrying past them.

As a starting point, Bloomberg accepts the findings of studies that show the dangers of outdoor passive smoke. However, the tests don’t seem to have much relevance to real-life situations. Standing downwind two feet from a smoker for 10 minutes is probably an exception rather than a rule.

If politicians were really serious about this, they would probably have to make smoking illegal in all circumstances. But alcohol prohibition and the “war on drugs” have both ended in a distinct lack of success. Plus, they would have a tough time coming up with explanations for such a measure. As tragic as each individual case may be, the American Lung Association figures show 3,400 Americans die from lung cancer caused by passive smoke each year. That’s 0.001 percent of the population. Meanwhile, 4,872 pedestrians and cyclists were killed by motorists in 2009. How many die annually from particulate matter is unclear. What is clear, however, is that more lives could be saved by a general prohibition against driving.