Smoking

I have all my respect to senior government officials – oh, of America and many other developed countries. (China is of course on the list. Alas, not those ex-colonial ones. Don’t be silly.) One exemplary incident – after our discussion on diet – is their attitude on cigarette smoking.

Why does it take half a century (or longer ?) to recognize the harm of tobacco ? The evidence has been overwhelming to start with.

But, what could be more effective to make sure your citizens die at a desirable age – that is, without taking pension for too long ? (I suspect if there is a soluble and tasteless substitute, some governments would add it to the drinking water.)

And there's more. Philip Morris and companies of this kind are great tax payers – and the tax of course comes from the profit, alas, customers. Now you see: when you buy cigarettes, you are actually paying extra tax to the government, and you slowly kill yourself – usually around the age of retirement – by a series of small fires.