Are There Any Ethical Barriers to Effective Antismoking Measures

The tobacco industry and its allies often attack tobacco control measures as paternalistic efforts that violate smokers’ rights and interfere with individual liberty. Although these arguments have no constitutional or other legal basis, they still have considerable rhetorical and persuasive power. Those who resort to “nanny state” and “health Nazi” name-calling likely cannot be turned. But logic and rational analysis can prevent others from accepting these ethics-based attacks as valid. That is why articles that clearly and convincingly rebut these arguments, such as the one in this issue by Morain and Malek, are so helpful and important.

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