For reference:
I'm growing weary of people kicking me in the balls and playing it off like it's a hand job. Don't write child health bills that are funded by new cigarette taxes, hailed as a "Victory for Tax Payers and Children" and pretend like it's about my health. People who advocate these kinds of taxes don't give a shit about my health. Their goal is to get the child health stuff funded and smokers are an easy target. The predictable drop in smoking is only the cherry on top. When there are no more smokers left, that money's going to have to come from somewhere. That's one reason why this is so cynical. My health is not the goal.
Another reason why it's so cynical, and nobody wants to be the one to talk about it, is that the millions upon millions of obese people (30% of America, I believe) who cost us lord knows how much money, never endure this kind of punishment. But the obese are a sympathetic lot - no, you can't have a commercial with a little kid "actor" crying over his mom stuffing her face with a Double Quarter Pounder - .....snif....mommy....I need you post-50!
DUN DUN DUUUNNNNN.....if you care about kids, you'll chuck that Double QPer and get on that treadmill collecting dust in your attic.
They typically don't face the same level of criticism in commercials or with punitive taxes on their behavior. I'm very okay with that part of it, because I don't think I should be made to feel like an asshole, and I don't believe them to be assholes at the core either. I would never attempt to devalue them. I believe we are all equal in God's eyes. I'm only trying to illustrate how absurd it is to talk about how smokers are costing us so much money, when really we aren't serious about curbing health care costs when it comes to everyone's behavior. Cynical.
If the government took that cigarette tax money, and spent 100% of it, not one cent less, on smoking cessation programs, treatment, drugs, etc, to help smokers stop for good then I would see this type of campaign so much differently. I still would think that the commercials are infuriating, but I wouldn't feel like my health is the afterthought when push comes to shove.
