wrote in message
...
On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:34:34 -0500, anon-e-moose
wrote:

That's one thing that could be done, but the bigger problem is
prevention,
e.g., heart attacks and other life-threatening, but preventable
conditions.
We need a coverage for all people that include preventative care.

Put a $10 tax on a pack of cigs. Who would argue with that?


The smokers and the people who try to enforce it.
At a certain point we may see another drug war with untaxed cigarettes
causing gun fights in the street. They just need to make the profit
incentive high enough. I doubt demand will go away.

This is supposed to be a free country. If someone wants to abuse
themselves, let them. Maybe require they carry insurance to pay for their
injuries, instead of the rest of us. Drugs were not a problem until the
profit got so astronomical that it paid to get someone hooked.