Legislating A New Low

The Feel-Good laws have reached a new height of absurdity here in New Jersey. One of the latest bills to be submitted to the legislature attempts to make flavored tobacco products illegal. The revised version limits the new law to cigarettes, for now.

The so-called "logic" behind this bill is that delicious flavorings like chocolate and fruits make tobacco products attractive to children. The super-geniuses in our legislature have decided that they must pass a law making flavored tobacco illegal. Of course it is illegal to sell tobacco products to children, so this ridiculous law makes no sense; unless you are "just blowing smoke" and pretending to actually care about 'public health', children, or whatever else may get you re-elected. Is alcohol next?

Professional Disclaimer: Professional Tobacconists and moral professionals go to great lengths to protect children and abide by legal age limits. The NJ legal tobacco smoking age is 19.

Personal Disclaimer: I personally do not favor tobacco with any additives or flavorings. But I fully support any adult who does.

Why would you pass a law restricting choice, commerce, freedom, and taste to protect a class of people that are already protected? Is that American? Is that reasonable? Does it make any sense?

The sponsors of this bill and any legislator voting to support it have reached a new low. I hope that they stop wasting our time and money on these empty, politically self-serving laws. The only thing worse than wasting our time and money is what they might have accomplished if they actually focused on something substantive. History will not judge them or their hysterical compulsions favorably. Where are the great thinkers, minds, and statesmen of our time? Certainly not in New Jersey.

And ohhhhh , the hypocrisy!!! They will allow menthol and mint flavored cigarettes. Why? you may ask. Probably because if they don't, the full force of the cigarette tobacco lobby will come down upon them. By limiting this new law to 'other' flavorings, NJ legislators are avoiding infringing on a massive profit vehicle for the major cigarette companies. Ultimately, only the smaller companies will be effected. Sadly, the most moderate and healthy consumers will be the ones hurt: The majority of people who smoke cherry, chocolate, vanilla, rose, or other specialty cigarettes are usually infrequent, once a month, or once a week smokers. People who occasionally want to have a premium cigarette ( healthy smokers), are having their rights usurped. And, as usual, the the little guy, with the little voice suffers. Bit by bit, this is the erosion of freedom and democracy.

Check it out: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp?BillNumber=S1400

"The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with amendments Senate Bill No. 1400.
As amended, this bill prohibits the sale of certain flavored cigarettes in New Jersey.
The bill prohibits selling or furnishing to a person a cigarette made of tobacco, or any component thereof, which contains a natural or artificial constituent or additive that causes the cigarette or any smoke emanating from the cigarette to have a characterizing flavor that is attractive to youth.
Specifically, the prohibition applies to cigarettes with characterizing flavors other than tobacco or menthol, such that the cigarette or any smoke emanating from that product imparts a distinguishable flavor, taste or aroma prior to or during consumption, including, but not limited to, any fruit, chocolate, vanilla, honey, candy, cocoa, dessert, alcoholic beverage, herb or spice flavoring; ...."

"According to public health experts, the existence of these products increases the incidence of tobacco use among children;
c The earlier a person begins using tobacco, the more likely the person will become addicted to tobacco products and continue to smoke throughout that person's life;
d. As a result, flavored 1[tobacco products] cigarettes1 lead to increased tobacco use and addiction, higher health care costs, and a greater incidence of smoking-related illness and death; and
e. Therefore, flavored cigarettes 1[and other tobacco products]1 pose a significant threat to the health of the general public..."

Tabloid Politics Exposed

This week the Borough Council of Keyport, New Jersey passed an ordinance that would make smoking in your car, with anyone 17 years or younger, illegal. For now, the ordinance is a secondary offense and will cost violators $75. But this is just the beginning, of course.

According to the AP, Mayor Robert Bergen said:

"We're not trying to use the power of the motor vehicle system to punish people into behaving the way we want them to" (then why did you pass the law?)

he continues...

"This ordinance is really intended to be a positive public policy statement about the need to take care of our kids."

This public admission of the true intention of the law is proof of the absurd policies being pursued by our elected politicians. They are passing laws, restricting freedoms and legislating "common sense", in order to make a STATEMENT about how much they care about children.

If you care about children, then do something for Children!!! How about funding education for children? Enlighten us with society's collective wisdom rather than intruding into our lives with repressive laws. Our founding fathers would be disgusted to see the country they founded being manipulated by such short-sighted, narrow-minded, self-serving functionaries. These "laws" are an intellectual and moral failure!

Or, perhaps I am wrong. Maybe we should make candy, fast food, raised voices, television, and all "non-wholesome" or "deviant" thought illegal. Yeah... that's the ticket... Maybe our politicians should extend their hands into our homes with surveillance cameras to ensure that we are parenting according to their standards: obviously they know what is right and wrong.

PS: the legal smoking age in New Jersey is 19, so why should 18 year olds be exposed to second-hand smoke? Does anybody read these laws before they pass them?