Chris

It’s ironic that many of the same objections levelled here were made when car seatbelt use was made compulsory. However, a lot less people die in car accidents now, and nobody seriously suggests civil liberties make car seatbelt laws odious.

Personal freedom is never absolute, especially not in a complex interconnected society. Every decision we take has the capacity to influence other people. Legislating against something is always a balancing act between an individual’s freedom to choose and the impact of their choices on society, especially those who have to pick up the pieces when our choices have serious negative consequences.

I’ve experienced those negative consequences twice in my life - members of my family who died of lung cancer due to smoking. I have also seen other members of my family struggle to quit, because nicotine is always addictive (in a way that alcohol is not). So I have little sympathy with the personal freedom argument, nor with the whataboutery when it comes to other controlled substances like alcohol.