Metro Cigar News Spring 1999

Who's really blowing smoke?
The federal government runs an assortment of agencies who's main goal is to investigate, research and then report back to the rest of us so that we will know what is good and what is bad for our health.

One agency reported that eggs were bad for your cholesterol. Shortly after almost wiping out the poultry industry, the report was changed to say that perhaps eggs weren't so bad after all.

Bending to pressure from animal activists, the government issued a report contending that eating beef was a killer. Another study issued in late June contradicted that contention.

One of the prime targets of the politically correct investigators was second hand smoke. Every report condemned second hand smoke as more dangerous and a greater killer than first hand smoke. And the jury really is still out on direct smoke.

Now comes another report that says "Ooops! Maybe second hand smoke isn't really so dangerous after all."

The anti-gun crowd has been fabricating statistics for years and managing to get them into print to substantiate their drive to outlaw firearms.

The anti-smoking crowd has taken a page from the anti-gun crowd's playbook and made the same moves. Politicians absolutely love to spout these statistics because they know that a crowd of friendly faces will be marshaled to cheer and make a scene for the television cameras and print journalists.

We all pay taxes to the federal government and we are all entitled to the same thing... an unbiased research report that tells the truth, not what some pressure groups want to be the truth.

Smoking has become the most restricted personal activity in the world. No, make that "in the United States." In Latin America, Asia and Europe they believe it is a personal choice and a right. There are virtually no restrictions overseas.

Yet in the United States it is becoming more and more difficult to light up a cigar any place but in your own home. Restaurants are being forced to totally prohibit smoking instead of providing two sections.

That's an out and out infringement on the person rights of millions of smokers. Perhaps it's time that smokers let their elected representatives know that they vote as well as the non-smokers.