So-called e-cigarettes, or e-cigs, are a curious product. They are called cigarettes, but they don’t contain tobacco, and people who use them don’t set anything on fire–except perhaps the desire of neo-prohibitionists to regulate them as if they were cigarettes. Have they been proven completely safe? No. But then again, we know that real cigarettes are harmful. If e-cigs, or electronic nicotine delivery systems as […]
Nanny state
West Michigan Diary: Swim at your own risk, adults
One thing I appreciate the most about Michigan is the fact that it really is the Great Lakes State. It touches on four of the five Great Lakes, though I have to say that my favorites are Superior and Michigan. When it comes to its beaches, Michigan treats adults like adults. The various parks may offer lifeguards at various times, but the rule (as far […]
Hillary Clinton and Smoking Bans
Our recent discussions on the smoking ban in Michigan reminds me of Hillary Clinton’s remarks during the health care debate in 1993. Her health care ideas–Hillarycare–called for a significant financial burden on businesses, especially small ones. In response to the criticism that she would drive small businesses out of work, she said, “I can’t be responsible for every undercapitalized entrepreneur in America.” In other words, […]
How government works: When headed in the wrong direction, double your speed
A very large portion of the laws that our officials enact run contrary to simple economics, which is to say, they are out of touch with the reality of how people operate. Take the “war on drugs” for example. We’ve identified a problem (people mess up their lives by abusing chemicals) and then think that the solution lies in government (make those chemicals illegal). How’s […]
Banning beds and beyond
Unless you’re the parent of a small child, you may have missed this: The U.S. government has outlawed the sale of drop-down cribs. The cribs, which have hardware that let you to temporarily drop one side down to reach your child, are functional. They’re cribs, after all. They’re also useful for saving the backs of parents. The rationale taken by the Consumer Product Safety Commission is […]
If you can’t stand the smoke, stay out of the smoking section
It’s time to pull out the boiling-frog analogy again. People who would make your choices for you have scored another victory, as it’s now illegal in Maine to smoke … outside. From the Kennebec Journal: “I’m happy to say that, during beautiful summer days, Maine people will no longer have to make the unfortunate choice of dining inside or choosing to be outside and inhaling smoke.” […]
Whose Children Are They?
Recently a member of the Minnesota Legislature–I forget who, and it’s not really important–asserted that the state needs a booster-seat law. It’s “to protect our children,” you see. The Star-Tribune editorialized that substituting political judgment for parental judgment is “a small price to pay to protect our kids.” Excuse me, but whose kids are we talking about? One of my favorite comedy sketches of all […]
We don’t handle risk very well
Do two fatalities a year from toboganning mean that we need a law requiring helmet use for all toboggan riders? That’s the question asked in Canada, by Andrew Coyne. According to a report in Tuesday’s National Post, “tobogganing accidents have killed at least seven people in Canada since 2003.” That’s seven people — make it eight if you like — in four years. Two per year. […]
When they pry that coffee cup from my cold, dead fingers
First it was prohibition (subsequently repealed). Later came big tobacco. And big food, with McDonalds, under public pressure, announcing that you won’t be able to supersize your orders anymore. Now government officials (perhaps with trial lawyers not far behind) are after a new target: Big Joe. Mike Johanns, governor of Nebraska, isn’t content with overseeing that state’s multi-billion dollar budget and thousands of employees. No, […]