The biggest mistake I ever made was to get hooked on tobacco. However, I was an adult, and made the choice of my own free will.
Constant preaching by puritans, if anything, just aggravated me into lighting up another smoke.
You use the word "allowed", with some frequency. Is this consistent with the view that we are a free people? Will you next be telling me what else I am "allowed" to do?
I no longer smoke. I do still love a shot of good Bourbon, now and then, and have some really nice old guns. If you believe for a minute that this is because you "allow" it, best you know how wrong you are.
The point with the word allowed is what are you "allowed" to do on a job? I did not make the point that anyone should be allowed or not allowed to smoke on their own time and in there own home, car and life. The point is that continuous smoking on the job or on duty should not be allowed. The army is about discipline, not allowing sloppy, dirty, unhealthy habits while on duty. Search out the army and cigarette smoking on the net and you will see that the army itself considers the amount of smoking going on in the army a problem. Check out http://www.fra.org/mil-up/milup-archive/04-21-05-milup.html
Also here is a letter issued by the Army.-------------------------------------------------
17 April 1986 Army Proclamation against Smoking DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20310-0200 17 April 1986 PROCLAMATION The readiness and well being of Total Army members and their families challenge us to deal with the problem of tobacco use. Medical evidence shows overwhelmingly that the use of tobacco products adversely impacts on the health and readiness of our force. Tobacco usage impairs such critical military skills as night vision, hand-eye coordination, and resistance to cold weather injuries. Moreover, it increases susceptibility to disease. It has become a substantial threat to the well-being of our Army, and we must take immediate steps to eliminate its usage. Every Army member is charged to make this goal a reality. All of us have a clear responsibility in making this happen. As part of the Army Tobacco Cessation Action Plan, we will encourage smokers to quit through a program of education, information, and assistance. We will also safeguard the health of smokers and nonsmokers alike by limiting the areas in which smoking will be permitted. Finally, we will check on all forms of tobacco usage from time to time to determine progress in meeting our goal. We believe this campaign is absolutely essential to maintain the health and readiness of our Army Ours is a profession unique in many respects, requiring physical fitness and stamina to get the job done. Each of us must be ready physically to endure the strains of a crisis. Additionally, caring leadership dictates that we demonstrate a sincere, unambiguous concern for the health and safety of those entrusted to our care. John A. Wickham, Jr. John O. Marsh, Jr. JOHN A. WICKHAM, JR. John O. Marsh, Jr. General, United States Army Secretary of the Army Chief of Staff--------------------------------------
And yes, I would puritanically hope that people would not smoke in excess as it is bad for their health and for those who don't smoke it is awful to be around. What I would hope for others and what they do on their own volition is up to them as long as they are on their own time (or working for themselves or someone who allows them their bad habits in excess while working for them). Because we are free we are free to do what is right and to encourage others to do what we know to be right (hopefully they are mature enough to appreciate it). What is life if it is not helping each other along in the right direction? And by the way, the puritans were, historically speaking,on the whole, great people.