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bonsai_spool | on: Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened (2001) [pdf]
> forbid smoking because the statistics point at it correlating with many health problems, is a world where we use the same statistical tool to prescribe human behavior to the last detail.

I had a really great egg for breakfast. This now means I will never eat anything else besides eggs.

Also, I realized that cars run better with oil changes every 3 months or 5,000 miles. Because shorter was better, we should all start changing oil daily.

The best player in the basketball game last week was over 7'4" tall. I guess I need to discourage anyone who isn't that tall from playing ever.

Do you see why banning smoking is a good idea?

necovek | parent
You seem to have inverted the logic: I did not say we have to make everybody smoke, which your examples imply.

My position is: do not ban (make illegal!) everything that has statistically significant risk for one's health (like smoking, alcohol, mountain climbing, spelunking, bike-riding, horse-riding, car racing, NFL...).

So no, I do not see why banning smoking altogether is a good idea (and no, I am not a smoker — I never was either). I can get behind increased health premiums or heavy taxation, banning smoking in communal spaces...