
The anti-smoking movement is a relatively new development in the overall scheme of things. The Anti-Smoking Movement has been going on for only about the last 20 years. But in that very short period of time, the movement has taken what was considered “normal” and even “desirable” behavior (smoking) and turned it into a behavior that is stigmatized, segregated and even illegal in some places.
The fact is that as movements go, you have to give the anti-smoking movement a round of applause. The Anti-Smoking Movement has been far more successful in reaching its goals than other movements intended to change behavior and attitudes during the same period of time.
The anti-smoking movement describes its own goals as “eliminating or at least greatly reducing smoking”. The plan to accomplish this objective is to use education according to the movement's understanding of the facts and government coercion by laws, taxes and (if possible) prohibition. The Anti-Smoking Movement is trying to move smoking into the realm of “consenting adults in private” only.
Frankly, the public's willingness to believe what the Secretary of Health and Human Services says without question regarding smoking is a bit perplexing.
The scientific information regarding smoking is complex and highly specialized. The average person has never even seen this information. They rely on conclusions drawn by others and must rely on what the government tells them it says.
The public doesn't believe a word said by the Secretary of Defense about the need for strategic defense and demand irrefutable proof about the claims made but don't even question the science behind or the claims made by the Anti-Smoking Movement.Don't misunderstand me. I am most certainly not advocating smoking. I don't smoke and I hate cigarette smoke. The phenomenon of blind belief in what a governmental agency says does fascinate me, however.